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Formula One engines must be designed for the best performance as well as durability in order to be able to win races at F1 racing events.
New rules in the F1 circuit require that engines last for longer than one racing weekend. In the past, it was common for engines to be disposable.
It was also common for races to end prematurely because of an accident involving a stalled engine. Today, engines must be designed to not fall apart or fail when the car is in motion.
Ever since the sport began in the 1950s, the specifications as well as the standards for F1 engines have continually changed.
Today, the output is closer to 200 bhp per litre as compared to 100 bhp per litre fifty years ago.
The engines today can use 650 litres of air in a second and the standard output is becoming closer to 300 bhp per litre.
Regular cars are not capable of sustaining the speed and durability of a Formula One racecar. There is little, if any, resemblance in the engine which is extremely powerful but yet light weight.
Engines must be powerful to be able to sustain acceleration speeds and lightweight enough to be able to allow the car to reach maximum speed performance.
One feature attached to an F1 engine is a gearbox. This is a housing unit for the gears and is located behind the steering wheel and makes driving less difficult for the driver.
There are seven gears in the transmission of a Formula One racecar. Transmissions of racecars are manual and this is a requirement in Formula One racing.
Surprisingly, normal gasoline is used to fuel the Formula One racecar. There are some things that time has not changed in this sport and that is one of them.
The Formula One racecar is one that relies on refueling quite a bit as the race can last at high speeds for up to two hours. Mechanics will take a look at the left over oil in the engine periodically to see how the engine is holding up. More leftover oil means more wear and tear on the engine.
Since 2005, there have been penalties in place for those who illegally “rig” the F1 engine to make the car go faster.
The FIA, or Federation of International Automobiles, sets the standards for the Formula One racecars as well as the type of engines used in these cars. If a race team fails to create an engine that can last for more than one weekend, they are fined ten places in the race.
There are almost 5,000 parts in a modern F1 engine and it is really a credit to modern technology and engineering. The engines themselves are very expensive to make and continue to keep evolving to be stronger more durable. The modern F1 engine is a marvel in modern technology.