Formula One Diesel...?

[Shab]

After Audi's triumph at Le Mans it got me thinking about how long it may be before there's a Diesel on the F1 grid.

To be honest, I think the Audi had a lot weighed in it's favour. I know it's a brand new car, but from what I can gather, it had a bit more BHP, a lot more torque and better milage than it's LMP1 rivals. I have heard that, as a litre of diesel has more energy contained in it than a litre of petrol, they may change the rules next year so that your fuel load will be determined not by volume, but by energy content.

With a Peugeot diesel on the Le Mans horizon for next year it should be a very intresting period for the old oil burner...

[TJG]

Its a shame they dont all do the le mans start still. Added incentive to get in and away before the world dissapears in a cloud of black smoke!

[dave.j.robbo]

Its a shame they dont all do the le mans start still. Added incentive to get in and away before the world dissapears in a cloud of black smoke!

Can you imagine the frustration though?

Watching the petrol powered cars getting away, while you're sat waiting for the glowplug light to go out!!!

[kitesurf_phil]

Can you imagine the frustration though?

Watching the petrol powered cars getting away, while you're sat waiting for the glowplug light to go out!!!

LMAO

[Woodzie]

Now a F1 diesel would be intresting ...but the way the current regulations are going and the FIA proposals for engine freezes plus the devlopment of a new type of rear wing , i cannot envisage it happening for many years

[logey79]

Now a F1 diesel would be intresting ...but the way the current regulations are going and the FIA proposals for engine freezes plus the devlopment of a new type of rear wing , i cannot envisage it happening for many years

woodzie, do you not think that they'll continually introduce new regs that will specifically affect any possible research for a diesel F1 motor deliberately to keep any such production so impossibly difficult to develop?

le mans by its endurance definition is an ideal platform for diesel performance but F1? can't see it ever happening personally.

[Woodzie]

I must admit you have a good point,but we can dream .I cannot see that a diesel f1 within the next 15 years . Even with the devlopment of lighter diesel engines it would increase the weight of the car Eliminating balast which is used to balance the cars from track to track. also the other engine manufactures would object about the diesels ability to rev higher and run longer, the current and proposed concord agreement will also not be adaptabe to the introduction of a diesel engined car. So atleast the devlopment is happening in Sports cars and the WRC

[NFC]

I must admit you have a good point,but we can dream .I cannot see that a diesel f1 within the next 15 years . Even with the devlopment of lighter diesel engines it would increase the weight of the car Eliminating balast which is used to balance the cars from track to track. also the other engine manufactures would object about the diesels ability to rev higher and run longer, the current and proposed concord agreement will also not be adaptabe to the introduction of a diesel engined car. So atleast the devlopment is happening in Sports cars and the WRC

This shows the relevance of F1 to everyday vehicles. Some of the most useful and exciting stuff is not going on at Magny-Cours and Monaco, but at Le Mans, Sebring and Spa.

[Woodzie]

On autosport today....
Renault engine guru Rob White believes that diesel power has no future in Formula One.

The world championship leader's engine technical director was commenting on the recent performance of Audi, who won the Le Mans 24 hours at their first attempt with the diesel-powered R10.

White doesn't believe such compression ignition technology has a future in Formula One, unless, like in Le Mans, rules are made to give it an advantage in the regulations.

"If the future of racing will have to go through research in alternative fuels, then the diesel has the same limits as petrol's: they are both derivatives of oil," White told Autosprint.

"Audi decided to race in Le Mans with a diesel engine because they understood the regulations gave an advantage to this solution, but I don't see anything original in it: in the Fifties a diesel car started from pole position in Indianapolis."