Honda leave F1

[Orso]

like F1 is disneyland.

Isn't that what F1 is?

[ElectricRodeo1]

I worry this just brings F1 one step closer to spec engines. When WRC goes full electric they will all be made by one company, correct? I thought I read that Ford won’t be developing the electric engine for the possible Ford mini Puma.

[CK]

If you read the some articles about F1 engine, F1 is in series trouble going forward.

FIA has given Formula E the sole use of electric power until 2035. Between now and 2035, F1 has to use some sort of fossil fuel engine. Car manufactures are pushed by government regulations to ditch the fossil fuel engine by 2040 to 2050. There is not a lot of time left for them.

Car manufacturer will not spend the money if they are not pushed into alternate power. The battery technology is not as bad as some people see it. Even the batteries that we use in smart phones and a lot more other devices are pretty poor. Their life and charging time can be improve multiple times even now if manufacturers want to. It is all about money. Why would someone build a battery that can last longer than the useful life of a smart phone and cost more if they can sell a replacement battery at huge profit margin?

[sky1911]

I worry this just brings F1 one step closer to spec engines. When WRC goes full electric they will all be made by one company, correct? I thought I read that Ford won’t be developing the electric engine for the possible Ford mini Puma.

Well, would that really be a bad thing?
I know all the hoopla of a manufacturer running its own engines, everything in the car is made by them blablala. Ferrari have been proud to claim that at every corner. But with the sport being as expensive as it is and also of a dying kind ("remember kids - petrol, bad"!) and probably drawing less attention over the years, sponsors will have a dificult time.
So why not take it even further and have spec racers. Actually that was the first thought I had when I read this topic as it was fresh. Have 3 chassis' with as many engines and do what you must. Not sure if engine and chassis should be sold as a unit or not, i.e. take chassis A and engine B. In any case, what that comes down to is preparation of the car, setup and driver - and of course the ever present pit strategy shenanigans. I think it might actually help.

But then again my favourite period of F1 is long gone as it is seems a lot is decided in bs meetings and penalties and whatnot. But that's just me a bitter old man

[turboF1]

For me the idea of F1 and its relevance to the road car was a big draw to the sport. It was a way for a car manufacturer to showcase its technological prowess. I know many here disagree with my statement. But people like me will stop watching F1 solely on that premise if F1 turns into a single supplier of engines. I think racing might improve but if you are looking for good racing I submit to MotoGP or even the Indy car racing.
If you consider electric motors there is very little improvement needed to make it more efficient or even more powerful. Electric motor are simpler and they have been around longer then the modern IC engine. Manufacturers like Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche pride themselves in their combustion technologies and push the IC to higher revs, efficiency and output. There is nothing interesting to me about electric motors. But what manufacturer except maybe Cosworth is going to continue spending money on a technology that is irrelevant to the road car going forward thanks to government mandate?

[DPalmer43]

Good article over on Racer.com. https://racer.com/2020/10/02/honda-anno ... d-of-2021/

Bottom line, the two teams using Honda (most notably Red Bull but also Alpha Tauri) really have no alternative but to re-engage with Renault for an engine package. Per the FIA rules, any team losing their engine mfg and lacking an engine contract will go with the supplier of the fewest teams. Renault has I believe 2 teams (back markers). FIA could force the shotgun wedding between Red Bull and Renault. Red Bull is signed with FIA via their Concorde through 2025.

So, yeah, even with F1 trying to level the playing field via new rules and such, it appears we're in for yet another year (2022) with one dominant team and a bunch of others fighting for scraps.