Thread

1. boredatoms · 1791167041 · focus · HN ↗

   Time to go back to NA engines, the hybrids don't give the rock concert wall of sound

   1. rapidfl · 1791167326 · focus · HN ↗

      Lets all vent in one more place. How this kind of regs get forced is sad. All the casual fans want something fun to watch. All the serious fans want NA engines. The drivers hate these "power units".

      1. xeonmc · 1791172501 · focus · HN ↗

             Gentlemen, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us ‘take a monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car.’ Thirty years later, Sebastian told us ‘I had to start my car like a computer, it’s very complicated.’ And Nico Rosberg said that during the race – I don’t remember what race - he pressed the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you both: is Formula One driving today too complicated with twenty and more buttons on the wheel, are you too much under effort, under pressure? What are your wishes for the future concerning the technical programme during the race? Less buttons, more? Or less and more communication with your engineers?

         1. Kd368 · 1791172903 · focus · HN ↗

            Can you repeat the question?

            1. yogiv88 · 1791181101 · focus · HN ↗

               I was reading the whole text in THAT tone
      2. alkonaut · 1791182275 · focus · HN ↗

         The F1 isn't just spectacle it's also something that should show real advancement in technology. They don't want to be seen as deliberately going back 20 years in tech.

         But yes, they completely made the powertrains to opaque for the viewer, and they definitely missed the ball on the sound aspect.

         I get that they need to look environmentally conscious but let's be honest: it's maybe one decade - two tops - until F1 is electric. Until then, why not just skip the hybrid bits and do loud and simple engines?

         I was at a GP in september, something you do very much for the noise and spectacle - the race you follow best from your couch. And it was astonishing just how much better F3 and F2 sounds, compared to F1. And that surely can't be good for FIA.

         1. tpm · 1791189270 · focus · HN ↗

            > The F1 isn't just spectacle it's also something that should show real advancement in technology.

            Maybe 30+ years ago. Carbon fiber parts, motors made of Beryllium alloys, the hybrid tech was interesting for a short while etc.

            But then, either you want fun for the fans of the fossil engines OR you want advancement in technology. I don't think it can be combined anymore. My feeling is it will go the way of horse races, completely irrelevant to the broader transport technology, and won't go electric at all.

         2. etcetcetcetceta · 1791195654 · focus · HN ↗

            It is just entertainment, and advertising.

            >I was at a GP in september, something you do very much for the noise

            Why spend all that money when you can goto the local farmyard and watch them shuffle tractors around, if you close your eyes they're indistinguishable

   2. penskymaterial · 1791174065 · focus · HN ↗

      I don't follow motorsports very closely, sorry, but racing hybrids sounds extremely queer.

      They might as well not do it at all.

      You cannot greenwash auto racing as "sustainable" when by its very nature it need not exist. It's done for sport.

      It's like people who hunt exotic animals agreeing to put suppressors on their rifles as if that somehow makes it more acceptable.

      1. RantyDave · 1791174810 · focus · HN ↗

         In theory: it's not greenwashing, it's so that the humungous amounts of resources they put into developing F1 engines are not completely wasted ... so that some of the tech can "trickle down" to road car engines. Hence, the interest in hybrids. At least they get to learn how to charge a battery really, really fast.

         In practice, of course, it's all going to go a bit south when road cars go to 90% EV. There is already a "formula E", of course.

      2. klausa · 1791174975 · focus · HN ↗

         There are very obvious performance benefits to running a hybrid.

         1. rozap · 1791175407 · focus · HN ↗

            I think you're right, but I do wish the formula was more open ended. The super strict regs were supposed to prevent runaway costs, but now we have the cost cap. So like, why not institute a cost cap for the pu manufacturers and let them go nuts.

            1. klausa · 1791175853 · focus · HN ↗

               The PU development is under a separate cost cap.
      3. xtracto · 1791176181 · focus · HN ↗

         The worst thing is that, whatever they "save" in the hybrid part, is offsetted by the amount of pollution of flying all people and machines around the world.

         Someone on reddit showed a graph comparing both, and it's just ridiculous.

         I'm an avid F1 fan since 1990s, and think hybrid engines is the wrong way to do it.

         1. Skunkleton · 1791180094 · focus · HN ↗

            The hybrid power train isn't about carbon emissions at the race, its about advancing lower carbon technology.

            That said, its still dumb since consumer cars are moving on from hybrids it seems.

         2. coderenegade · 1791181325 · focus · HN ↗

            It's not just about being environmentally friendly; hybrid engines have fairly significant performance advantages over non-hybrid engines.
      4. coderenegade · 1791178192 · focus · HN ↗

         F1 couldn't call themselves the pinnacle of motorsports if they moved away from hybrid engines. The performance advantages are fairly staggering.
   3. userbinator · 1791175409 · focus · HN ↗

      NASCAR still uses classic carbureted V8s. I personally prefer that sound over the much higher-pitched F1 engines.

      1. rascul · 1791176613 · focus · HN ↗

         NASCAR Cup series has been using EFI since 2012. The other series still use carburetors.
   4. silon42 · 1791184855 · focus · HN ↗

      It's a turbo that muffles the sound (and resulting reduced revs because high RPM was restricted due to cost reasons).
   5. bgarbiak · 1791196790 · focus · HN ↗

      Not going to happen. Most of the race tracks on the F1 calendar have noise limits nowadays. Yes, the classics - like Monza - included.

      It looks like it will be mild-hybrid V8s with turbos from 2030: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.motorsport.com&#x2F;f1&#x2F;news&#x2F;first-details-of-2030-f1-engine-rules-revealed&#x2F;10858153&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.motorsport.com&#x2F;f1&#x2F;news&#x2F;first-details-of-2030-f1-...

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