FORMULA 12014 Rule Changes

There have been many significant rule for F1 since the 2013 season. The objective of these changes was to make a safer and ‘greener’ F1. For the sport to stay sustainable it needed to change quite dramatically to lose its image of fuel guzzling cars destroying the planet, so the sport has followed the example set by some Le Mans teams and now all the cars run on a full hybrid system. This reduces fuel consumption without without reducing the drama and excitement of the high speed racing that is expected in Formula 1.

These rule changes- which the teams have known about for a number of years- have posed massive challenges to the engineers at all of the F1 teams and engine constructors; these are the biggest changes in a very long time and large sections of the cars have had to be completely redesigned. This is, however what F1 is about- creating solutions to real problems and some teams have managed a lot better than others. Pre-season testing saw teams such as Red Bull Infiniti struggling to complete even a few laps. This has allowed smaller teams to compete better than they could before, in the new era of Formula 1.

Contents

Bodywork Brake System Fuel and Transmission Power train and ERS Points System

Bodywork There have been very significant changes regarding the nose and front and

rear wings of the cars in an attempt to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve safety- the maximum nose height has been reduced from 550mm to 185mm, the width of the front wing has reduced from 1800mm to 1650mm which has lead to a slight change in shape; the new wings are wider at the back than the front in an attempt to manipulate the air around the tyres instead of into them, the rear wing no longer has the lower beam, reducing drag, and the main flap is shallower and opens further when DRS is in use. The changes in the wings have lead to a 20% reduce in downforce

The nose has been lowered the prevent cars flying into the air in the event of a collision, and the design of the nose has not been set in all cars as it has been in the past, which has lead to some interesting solutions dubbed “Anteater Noses”

The minimum weight of the car has been increased from 642kg to 691kg due to the added weight of the new powertrains

Brakes As well as the normal hydraulic front and rear brake system

(ABS is not permitted) the new cars have a ‘Brake by Wire’ or Rear Brake Control System. This comprises of an electrical system that assesses the amount of power the driver is putting through the pedal and modulates the braking effect to allow for the ERS taking energy from the rear brake discs while the car is decelerating. This energy is then taken to the control unit and used to charge the Energy Store (which can store ten times more energy than last season) for later use. The system is meant to keep the braking feel consistent and smooth for the drivers but many found it hard to get used to during testing at the start of the season,

“The brakes work in a different way. It’s electronic brakes… and I still need to improve the way I’m braking because it’s different,” Filipe Massa This system has also presented the engineers problems when

working on the brake balance with the driver

Fuel and Transmission The drivers must complete the race distance on 100kg (140 litres)

of fuel. This is 30% less fuel than last season. Furthermore, the drivers must not consume fuel at a rate of more than 100kg/ hour. This makes it harder for the drivers to push hard for a certain period of time then recuperate, because if they exceed the 100kg/ hour fuel use rate they will be excluded from the race results immediately

The teams must supply the FIA with 2 five-litre samples before the race

As well as new drivetrains and aerodynamic packages, the drivers have an extra gear to help them allow their fuel to go further. The transmission ratios are set from the first race onwards, and cannot be changed so the engineers have to develop a set up that can work as well in Monaco as it can in China

The fuel is also injected at a much higher pressure- almost 500 times greater than normal atmospheric pressure (500 BAR)- which means the fuel is burnt more completely and efficiently

Powertrain and ERSTeam Engine

Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Mercedes PU106A Hybrid

Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 059/3

Infiniti Red Bull Racing Renault Energy F1-2014

McLaren Mercedes Mercedes PU106A Hybrid

Caterham F1 Renault Energy F1-2014

Sahara Force India Mercedes PU106A Hybrid

Lotus F1 Renault Energy F1-2014

Marussia F1 Ferrari 059/3

Sauber F1 Ferrari 059/3

Scuderia Toro Rosso Renault Energy F1-2014

Williams Martini Racing Mercedes PU106A Hybrid

Powertrain and ERS The powertrain this year is very different to last year. The 2.4

litre naturally aspirated V8 engine of 2006-2013 has been replaced with a smaller 1.6 V6 direct injection with a turbocharger. The old engines produced more than 750bhp and revved to a maximum of 18, 000rpm. The new engines produce around 600bhp, and are limited to 15, 000rpm, but the new Energy Recovery System (ERS) and Kinetic Energy Recovery System reborn as ERS-K will produce an extra 161bhp for 33 seconds per lap.

Last year’s KERS system could only produce 80bhp for 6 seconds a lap. This means the drivers are much more reliant on the electrical power system so if they do not work well the drivers will have no chance of achieving good race speed.

Powertrain and ERS ERS-H (Heat)- The energy recovery system used for this year in

the Renault Energy F1 and other engines is different to last season’s; the turbocharger is directly connected to a Motor-Generator Unit (MGU) capable of spinning at 100,000 rpm, the same as the fans of the turbocharger. When the car is decelerating and the turbocharger is not helpful, the MGU will slow down the turbo as the energy is converted by the MGU from kinetic to electric and it will be moved through the control unit into the battery or Energy Store. This energy is stored then reused to spool up the turbocharger as the car starts to accelerate, reducing the turbo-lag effect and increasing performance. The energy comes back from the Energy Store, through the MGU and into the turbocharger to ensure the power is delivered exactly when the driver needs it

This is a simplified diagram of the process of charging the Energy Store using ERS-H and the Turbocharger

Imagine the same process reversed when the energy is used to spool up the turbo

Powertrain and ERS ERS-K (Kinetic)- The more conventional KERS has not

changed significantly and is the same system that has been in use since 2009. Energy from the crankshaft and rear brakes is used to spin an MGU mounted on the side of the engine which in turn delivers more electrical energy to the energy store to be used while the car is accelerating, very similar to ERS-H

This process is reversed when the driver needs the electrical boost- the battery discharges turning the MGU which acts as a normal motor that is connected the the crankshaft through a series of gears adding up to 180bhp.

This boost will not be determined by a KERS button on the steering wheel as it normally is but by electronic systems and engine mapping pre-determined with the steering wheel by the driver and will be activated by the accelerator

This shows the MGU converting the energy from the crankshaft into electrical energy to be stored in the Energy Store

The same happens with the ERS-K as does with the ERS-H- the energy is returned to the MGU which gives a power boost to the crankshaft

Image rights of Renault F1

Powertrain and ERS The Turbocharger works very similarly to a normal

turbocharger- fresh air is brought into the system from above the driver’s head and into one of the sections of turbocharger which contains a fan spinning at incredibly high speeds due to the exhaust gases turning the other fan. The compressor fan then compresses the air and pushes it round to the intercooler- the compressed air will be incredibly hot and so needs cooling before it can enter the combustion chamber. The radiator uses air coming through the side pods to cool down this hot air. The cool air then enters the cylinder, mixes with the fuel and ignites

Powertrain and ERS This will change the way the cars are driven. Electric motors

generate a lot of torque so the handling characteristics of the cars have been changed. They now oversteer and slide out of corners so the drivers are having to adjust to the new style of driving. This gives gives the engineers a lot more to think about when setting up the car for a race

This has also affected reliability issues which could continue for a while during the start of the 2014 season. A failure in one component could now deem the car uncompetitive which is an issue the engineers will have to deal with

This increased torque has however helped drivers deal with the fuel restrictions as they are able to change up earlier meaning they can drive at lower revs reducing fuel use

Points At the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi,

both the drivers and constructors will be awarded double points in the standings of the race. This rule change is to ensure the teams stay competitive until the end of the season and give the spectators a dramatic finale- in the past it has been possible for the table leader to win without even completing the final race, but this system should ensure all the drivers keep fighting for their positions until the very end

This is a brief overview of the more significant rule changes for the 2014 Formula 1 season.

Full Technical Rules and Regulations can be found the Formula 1 website

www.formula1.com

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