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Why cost constraints are killing F1

“Using the rear lower wishbone as an aero element is a fantastic trade off for making the rear wing more efficient while only losing out slightly in wheel kinematics!”

You just never hear Formula 1 fans talking like that, and I bet most people reading this will probably not know which team I am talking about. Then why is it that the bulk of the development on the modern Formula 1 car is done on aerodynamics?

Making the sport sustainable is not a matter of cutting budgets (the sponsors can do that themselves) but rather about making the sport relevant. Having personally witnessed the development of the KERS system from the inside for a major team it is amazing how much the deadline of an approaching season motivates the engineers to explore new waters and try multiple approaches simultaneously (the generous funding helps too).

While it was clear to any engineer that the KERS rules were a complete waste of time, in just the one short year, battery technologies were pushed to their limits, lithium-ion safety was explored, electric motor weights dropped and heat dissipation was optimized. The amount of knowledge that was gained in one year would have taken at least three years in any other R&D environment.

This incredible turnaround time is what should entice manufacturers to spend money on the sport. The place to start is not to limit how many engines a team gets to use every season, because frankly, nobody cares, but how about the previously suggested rule of limiting the amount of fuel each team gets for the weekend? This rule would be a major step forward, because not only will it produce technologies to make engines more fuel-efficient, it will give spectators something to talk about. Fuel consumption in 2009 is on everyone’s mind. But why stop at just making Formula 1 engines more efficient? Make teams use a stock engine block from a car currently in production. That way the consumer can enjoy the advances made in Formula 1 much sooner.

Another important issue could be addressed by creating regulations that force teams to recycle a certain amount of their used product on new cars to reduce waste. Recycling is a global issue that has found no relevance in any industry just because the costs of recycling are too high. Well, I say, put US$25 million and ten smart brains a year behind it, and we might finally get somewhere. KERS was a terrific example of this.

As my passion as a fan is slowly dying in Formula 1, I beg the FIA and FOTA to listen to the voice of reason, and once again make the sport something that a broader audience wants to talk about.

by Moritz Boecker

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