F1 couldplay a huge rolein th is transition. It’s
proven its abilityto advance technology readiness
levels from experimentalto p roduction, and must
do so again. Italso has the profile to engagethe
public in these technologies. Thediffe rence this
time is that it doesn’t have an option. Failure to
reduce CO2emissions willleave the sport asa
pariah with no placein mode rn society.
The next step needs to come withthe next
generation of power unit. F1mustbethe firs t
series to run on100% advanced sustainable fuels
to demonstrate their effectiveness. The fuel and
the engine must be designed in harmony, and
hybridisation and electrical systemsmust be
taken toa new level. When a full circular life -cycle
analysis is done, F1 must pave the waytowa rda
true net zero carbon soci ety in the transport arena.for themto open into the cylinderimposes some
limitations on achievablecompression ratios.
When considering future engine technologies we
shouldalso consider afull life-cycleanalysis ofthe
power unit it self and thesupporting energy source,
be it chemicalor electrical. Welive in a rapidly
evolving worldand one in which industry must be
powered by low-carbon electricity. Once wehave
that, should wejust be using it tocharge batteries
(which havebuilt in environmental problems) and
new infrastructure needs, orshould webe u sing
that elec tricity to syn thesise liquid hydrocarbon
fuels? We’ll probably needto f ollow both paths,
with full-batteryelectric vehicleshaving a role in an
urban environment,and low-carbon-fuelled,highly
hybridised internal combustionengine s powering
non-urbanlight vehicles and allheavy vehicles.While much of the low-hangingfruit of engine efficiencyhas
alreadybeen ha rvested,we need to set ambitious targetsfor the next
generation of powerunits. Just afew years ago 50% efficiencyseemed
a dreamand ye t F1 engines haveachieved it. When weconsiderthe
next F1 engine we need to define targets rather than technologies,
and the determination ofachieving 60%
efficiency is no longer a dream.
It is am bitious, though, andcurrent
technologywill not get us there. We needto
think late rally, to goback tobasics andsee
what technologies will allow us to run higher
compression ratios and what willreduce
the inevitablelosses. For example, should
the engine be a two-stroke?Turbocharging,
direct inje ction and plasmaignition could
allow averyef ficient two-stroke torun with
none of the inherent problemsof past-
generation two-strokes. Moreimportantly,
an enginerunnin g on a synthetic ultra-low-
carbonfuel witha very highoctane rating
could run at the sort of compressionratios
thatengines runningon today’s gasolines
couldn’t begin to sustain. Equallywe may
find traditional poppetvalves arenolonger
suitablesince the clearancevolume neededFAILURETO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS WILL
LEAVE THE SPORTAS A PARIAH WITH NO PLACE
IN MODERN SOCIETY
INSIDER
UNDER THE HOOD24 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
Engines have achieved 50% efficiency
in F1 but currenttechnology will not
go much further, so there is a needto
go backto basicsPICTURE:SHUTTERSTOCKF1 couldplay a huge rolein th is transition. It’s
proven its abilityto advance technology readiness
levels from experimentalto p roduction, and must
do so again. Italso has the profile to engagethe
public in these technologies. Thediffe rence this
time is that it doesn’t have an option. Failure to
reduce CO2emissions willleave the sport asa
pariah with no placein mode rn society.
The next step needs to come withthe next
generation of power unit. F1mustbethe firs t
series to run on100% advanced sustainable fuels
to demonstrate their effectiveness. The fuel and
the engine must be designed in harmony, and
hybridisation and electrical systemsmust be
taken toa new level. When a full circular life -cycle
analysis is done, F1 must pave the waytowa rda
true net zero carbon soci ety in the transport arena.for themto open into the cylinderimposes some
limitations on achievablecompression ratios.
When considering future engine technologies we
shouldalso consider afull life-cycleanalysis ofthe
power unit it self and thesupporting energy source,
be it chemicalor electrical. Welive in a rapidly
evolving worldand one in which industry must be
powered by low-carbon electricity. Once wehave
that, should wejust be using it tocharge batteries
(which havebuilt in environmental problems) and
new infrastructure needs, orshould webe u sing
that elec tricity to syn thesise liquid hydrocarbon
fuels? We’ll probably needto f ollow both paths,
with full-batteryelectric vehicleshaving a role in an
urban environment,and low-carbon-fuelled,highly
hybridised internal combustionengine s powering
non-urbanlight vehicles and allheavy vehicles.While much of the low-hangingfruit of engine efficiencyhas
alreadybeen ha rvested,we need to set ambitious targetsfor the next
generation of powerunits. Just afew years ago 50% efficiencyseemed
a dreamand ye t F1 engines haveachieved it. When weconsiderthe
next F1 engine we need to define targets rather than technologies,
and the determination ofachieving 60%
efficiency is no longer a dream.
It is am bitious, though, andcurrent
technologywill not get us there. We needto
think late rally, to goback tobasics andsee
what technologies will allow us to run higher
compression ratios and what willreduce
the inevitablelosses. For example, should
the engine be a two-stroke?Turbocharging,
direct inje ction and plasmaignition could
allow averyef ficient two-stroke torun with
none of the inherent problemsof past-
generation two-strokes. Moreimportantly,
an enginerunnin g on a synthetic ultra-low-
carbonfuel witha very highoctane rating
could run at the sort of compressionratios
thatengines runningon today’s gasolines
couldn’t begin to sustain. Equallywe may
find traditional poppetvalves arenolonger
suitablesince the clearancevolume neededFAILURETO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS WILL
LEAVE THE SPORTAS A PARIAH WITH NO PLACE
IN MODERN SOCIETY
INSIDER
UNDER THE HOOD24 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
Engines have achieved 50% efficiency
in F1 but currenttechnology will not
go much further, so there is a needto
go backto basicsPICTURE:SHUTTERSTOCK