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Although they suffered some reliability problems throughout the season, the engine was an example for the others, as it allowed the team to shift ballast in the car to benefit the car's handling.Īs a reaction to this weight shedding, the the 1998 Mercedes-Benz engine was possibly one of the most revolutionary engines ever built, making performance gains and drastic weight cuts at the same time. It is not a lie to claim that in the years after 1995, the manufacturer who invested most and could hire most people could produce the best engine.īack in 1997, Ford Cosworth started a furious battle for weight reduction as their CR1 at the time was at least 25kg lighter than any other. Until that time, all car manufacturers involved in F1 were effectively out-racing each other in a spending race.
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A video clip of Renault's RS24 on the dyno can be found here.Īll current engines run by the competing F1 teams are very similar due to the very stringent regulations that have increasingly come into play since 2006. Before its first track time and after each race, each engine is tested on an engine dyno to validate its performance and identify problems.It's not exactly known how much oil such a top engine contains, but this oil is for 70% in the engine, while the other 30% is in a dry-sump lubrication system that changes oil within the engine three to four times a minute.At its maximum pace the current V8 engines consume around 60 litres of petrol for 100km of racing.Crankshaft and piston rods are Iron based for strength.Other materials would maybe give some extra advantages, but to limit costs, the FIA has forbidden all non-ferro materials. Engine blocks are constructed of forged aluminium alloy, because of the weight advantages it gives in comparison to steel.The weight is exactly 95kg (each manufacturer easily reaches this regulated minimum weight).All F1 engines are naturally aspirated V8's of 2400cc.Facts and figuresīecause of the regulations and engineering optimisations, all current engines are of a similar type, and feature the following similarities: An engine is the only power source of a Formula One car - apart from the KERS systems in 2009 which are indirectly charged by the power generated by the engine - and is a structural part of the chassis. Although F1 racing engines have lost some of the attractiveness they used to have when the regulations allowed more freedom, every single design currently in use is still a highly advanced piece of engineering that has required lots of time and thought.