We practically see a one to two step cylinder downgrade with each engine project that gets released for turbo charged direct injection petrol engines.xpensive wrote:Perhaps we have two very similar threads going here moderator, this one and "Technical regulations for..."? Anyway I still find a 1500 cc, mildly boosted, 600 Hp I-4 just a tad simplistic for F1. I hope they stick with the 2.4 V8 or go with a 1.8 V6-TC.
The BMW M5 V10 engine will go to V8. (edited to correct a mistake)
The 1 series I-4 will go to I-3
Most American V8 will go to V6
The list can go on and on. The classical F1 turbo engine is a 1.5L V6 with the occasional I-4 (BMW) also being quite successful.
The return to turbos will aim at the same displacement class but the general trend points to a lower cylinder count with V4, W4 or I-4 the more probable solutions. The trend has been too long towards heavier and heavier cars.
I feel that the minimum weight needs to come down again and particularly the fueled weight should go down significantly by some 70 kg fuel savings at least. So fully fuelled F1 cars with drivers that will weight around 800 kg in 2011 should come down again to 700 kg. The weight with drivers to 610 kg at the end of the race.