A full engine change can now take a whopping six hours, but Force India technical boss Andy Green added: "If we have to piece it together with individual parts, it can be 18 hours."
Good god......!
My understanding is that the new rules for this season also reduced the maximum number of engines a team could use for the season. I want to say they're now down to something like five per car?
Yep. According to this (quite awesome) video from Red Bull on the new rules, it's five engines per car per year.
To your point MRandall, one supplier was commenting that he wouldn't be surprised to see 100% attrition.
I remember reading once that decades ago (like in the 1950s or 60s) at one of the first NASCAR races on a new track, the track surface was so rough that tires would only last a relative handful of laps. While everyone else went full out and consequently had to pit repeatedly for fresh tires, one driver decided to putter around on the apron going something like 50 mph slower than everyone else. Because he didn't waste time pitting, he ended up winning the race. I really wish I could remember where I read that.
Yes, five engines, down from eight last year. For the entire season. I remember the days when teams embroiled in title battles would have drivers go through that many lumps in a weekend.
I had like eight friends share that Red Bull video on Facebook yesterday. My favorite part is ~1:20 when Vettel says "Here are the main changes" and then presses the 'here' button on the wheel. Before they got all winny, RBR used to be the cheeky monkeys of the pitlane. Since they don't seem be in a position to win this year, hopefully the 'here' button is a sign of a return to that irreverence.
I agree. They used to be the cool kids on the block (the beginning of the red bulletin for example). Recently (and probably because of expectations) they've had a corn cob up their rear.
Yes, five engines, down from eight last year. For the entire season. I remember the days when teams embroiled in title battles would have drivers go through that many lumps in a weekend.
I wonder if that rule would survive if a major team like Ferrari or Mercedes literally ran out of engines halfway through the season.
The speculation is that by mid-season we're going to be seeing races where all but three or four drivers are taking grid penalties because they've exceeded their engine allotment.
Here's how the regs are worded:
Replacement of a complete power unit = The driver concerned must start the race from the pit lane.
The first time a 6th of any of the elements is used = Ten grid place penalty.
The first time a 6th of any of the remaining elements is used = Five grid place penalty.
The first time a 7th of any of the elements is used = Ten grid place penalty.
The first time a 7th of any of the remaining elements is used, and so on = Five grid place penalty.
A 'power unit' is comprised of six parts:
- internal combustion engine (ICE)
- the motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K; similar to KERS in recent years)
- the motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H; using exhaust gasses from the turbocharger... which itself is driven by ICE exhaust)
- the energy store (ES; effectively a battery)
- turbocharger (TC)
- control electronics (CE)
The grid penalties apply to the use of any of those components. Let's say the ICE, MGU-K, MGU-H, TC, and CE are working fine all year, but you have chronic ES problems. Go through five of those and bam, 10-place grid penalty.
And 'use' is defined as the car's timing transponder showing that the car has left the pitlane. So if you leave the pits and the car catches fire between pit exit and turn 1 and you have to replace, say, the MGU-H..... that still counts as a 'use' against your season-long allotment.
Well, to be honest I've thought that F1 has been a pretty boring series of single-file parades in recent years, so the prospect of an engine RUD* at any moment could increase the excitement factor.
I know a fighter pilot who told a story about having a delicious chili dinner aboard ship once, about two hours before a night launch. As they're sitting in the jet powering up, he gets on the intercom to his RIO and asks is farts are lumpy. The RIO called it a "suspected 'uncommanded DUMPEX'".
I love him in his job, but sometimes...
And it's funny you mention your wife. Mine all but cried herself to sleep over the new engine sounds. She was also the one that demanded I buy tickets for the USGP's at Indy.
I like Buxton in the same way that I like my neighbor's Shi-Tzu. There's no real appeal, but he's harmless enough.
One of the best jobs in the world, tho, has got to bit F1 pitlane reporter. Hitting every race in a year is one of my bucket list items, and I think that's probably the only way I could swing it.
He kind of fell off the planet when they disbanded. Not sure why Speed/NBCSN would have a beef with him, though.
I did not know this:
On 25 June 2010 the FIA officially banned USF1 from any further participation in the sport, and the World Motor Sport Council fined them $380,000 USD for failing to meet their commitments for the 2010 race season.
at "turbo sound."
