The problem is keeping the seals lubricated and “wet” while the car sits.Moctecus wrote: ↑16 Jul 2024, 11:52Adrian Newey has confirmed that they will use pneumatic valve springs:We started out with the twin-turbo V8 twin because we needed around 1000 horsepower from the combustion engine, and the only way to get that with our target engine weight [of 150kg] was with a turbo. Then we started working with our own powertrain division to look at how we can get the power out of a normally aspirated engine? The answer was rpm, but how do we achieve a high rpm? That meant going to pneumatic valves instead of valve springs. We’re continuing to do durability work to get a normally aspirated V10 that weighs 150kg, revs to 15,000rpm and has 1000hp.
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By the way, the Mercedes-AMG One has pneumatic valve springs too and that's a road car. Compared to F1, they have added a pneumatic pump.
Sure you can do it if it’s exclusively in the care of Mercedes or RedBull (Cosworth), where they’re going to tear into before you schedule it to run, but the issue is 20-30 years from now when you can’t find those bespoke seals anymore, the manufacturers aren’t interested in supporting these, and they sit a lot between runnings. This is why people are converting engines like the Cosworth EC and ED engines to coil springs.
As pointed out, you can’t even turn these engines over until you know all the valves are retracted, and require PITA leak tests constantly.
That said, most of these aren’t even going to run but a few times, so it it’ll be fine.