Formula 1 agrees radical rule changes for 2011 and 2013
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F1 cars will undergo major changes over the next few years
</td></tr> </tbody></table> Formula 1 rule makers will announce two sets of radical changes on Friday that will take effect in 2011 and 2013.
Governing body the FIA will confirm the adoption in 2011 of movable rear wings to aid overtaking, and the return of Kers power-boost systems.
From 2013, cars will use new 'green' engines to improve sustainability.
These will be four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbos with energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions, with the aim of increasing efficiency by up to 50%.
The agreement to switch from the current 2.4-litre V8s after months of tough negotiations - exclusively revealed by BBC Sport last weekend - is an attempt to mirror the trend towards fuel-efficiency in road cars and to popularise it, increasing public demand for such engines.
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</td> <td class="sibtbgf"> F1 ENGINE RULES FROM 2013
1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbos with energy recovery and fuel restrictions to replace current 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8s
Fuel efficiency to increase by a target of 50%
Overall power to remain same at approx 750bhp
Checks and balances to ensure costs are contained and performance across all engines remains comparable
Fuel to be limited by fuel-flow restrictions and a stipulated maximum tank capacity
Plan for advanced 'compound' turbos to be introduced in subsequent years
Power of Kers energy recovery systems to increase from 60kw in 2011 to 120kw in 2013
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The movable wings, which will be used from the start of next season, are an attempt to improve one of F1's perennial problems - the difficulties of overtaking.
The wings will be operated by the drivers, who will be able to use them when they are within a second of a car in front which they are trying to overtake.
The gaps between the cars will be monitored electronically by the FIA and the wings will be switched on when the driver behind is within the requisite distance.
Rule makers will monitor the way the wings work through the 2011 season and adjust them so they fit the purpose for which they were designed.
While F1 bosses want to make overtaking easier, they want it to remain a challenge.
The calculations as to when drivers should be able to employ the wings are made more complicated by the return of Kers in 2011.
These systems - which store energy that would have been wasted during braking and reapply it during acceleration to give a power boost of about 80bhp for seven seconds - were first used in 2009 but not used in 2010 on cost grounds.
The teams have decided to use them again in 2011 as a first step towards 2013, when F1 is trying to embrace sustainability.
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</td> <td class="sib606"> ANDREW BENSON'S BLOG
F1 is hoping it can insulate itself against accusations it is an irrelevant waste of resources and speed up the adoption of these technologies in road cars
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Mercedes and Ferrari had been reluctant to agree to the 2013 engine rules to the move as recently as a month ago, believing that it was an unnecessary expense at a time when F1 was trying to reduce costs.
And F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone has been consistent in his view that they were a bad idea.
But, as BBC Sport revealed, the rules were agreed in a series of recent meetings between F1's current engine manufacturers - which also include Renault and private company Cosworth - and the final touches were put to the regulations by a steering group of F1 engineers a week ago.
The aim is for the new rules to improve the efficiency of F1 engines by as much as 50%.
Care has been taken to ensure the performance of cars will not be affected and total power outputs will remain at current levels - approximately 750bhp.
By adopting the regulations, F1 hopes to widen its appeal to sponsors - commercial insiders say some companies are reluctant to get involved in F1 because of its image of being wasteful with resources.
It is understood that a series of checks and balances have been written into the regulations to keep costs down and to ensure it should be impossible for one manufacturer to steal a march on the others in terms of performance.
This will primarily be done through resource restriction - such as limiting the amount of people or time that can be devoted to a project.
German car giant Volkswagen has also been heavily involved in the discussions and has privately indicated to F1 insiders that the only way it would consider entering F1 would be if the sport adopted these new rules.
If VW did enter, it would be expected to use its Audi brand.
The adoption of the engines is a triumph for both F1 teams' organisation Fota and FIA president Jean Todt, both of whom have made increasing the future sustainability of F1 a key aim.
Leading figures in F1 hope that the adoption of the new rules will insulate the sport from charges of wastefulness at a time when supplies of fossil fuels are diminishing and there is pressure for the world to cut its production of greenhouse gases.
The aim is that by associating these energy-saving, fuel-efficient technologies with a glamorous and popular sport, they will become desirable in road cars, where their use is already increasing dramatically.
About 600bhp of the 750bhp produced by the engines will come from the four-cylinder single-turbo engine itself, with the rest being provided by Kers energy storage and power-boost systems.
For 2013, the power capacity of the Kers systems will be increased from 60kw to 120kw.
Fuel consumption will be restricted both by limiting fuel flow and introducing a maximum capacity for races.
The new engines will not do more than 10,000 revs per minute - current F1 engines spin at 18,000rpm.
In subsequent years, complex new turbocharging technology called compounding will be introduced to further enhance efficiency.
The regulations have been framed to encourage the pursuit of efficiency in engine design, dramatically increasing the amount of power that can be produced per litre of fuel burnt.
Those lessons in efficiency can then be transferred to road cars so that considerably less fuel is used for a given amount of performance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/gossip/9275796.stm
<table width="226" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr> </tbody></table> Formula 1 rule makers will announce two sets of radical changes on Friday that will take effect in 2011 and 2013.
Governing body the FIA will confirm the adoption in 2011 of movable rear wings to aid overtaking, and the return of Kers power-boost systems.
From 2013, cars will use new 'green' engines to improve sustainability.
These will be four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbos with energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions, with the aim of increasing efficiency by up to 50%.
The agreement to switch from the current 2.4-litre V8s after months of tough negotiations - exclusively revealed by BBC Sport last weekend - is an attempt to mirror the trend towards fuel-efficiency in road cars and to popularise it, increasing public demand for such engines.
<table width="231" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td width="5">
1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbos with energy recovery and fuel restrictions to replace current 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8s
Fuel efficiency to increase by a target of 50%
Overall power to remain same at approx 750bhp
Checks and balances to ensure costs are contained and performance across all engines remains comparable
Fuel to be limited by fuel-flow restrictions and a stipulated maximum tank capacity
Plan for advanced 'compound' turbos to be introduced in subsequent years
Power of Kers energy recovery systems to increase from 60kw in 2011 to 120kw in 2013
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The movable wings, which will be used from the start of next season, are an attempt to improve one of F1's perennial problems - the difficulties of overtaking.
The wings will be operated by the drivers, who will be able to use them when they are within a second of a car in front which they are trying to overtake.
The gaps between the cars will be monitored electronically by the FIA and the wings will be switched on when the driver behind is within the requisite distance.
Rule makers will monitor the way the wings work through the 2011 season and adjust them so they fit the purpose for which they were designed.
While F1 bosses want to make overtaking easier, they want it to remain a challenge.
The calculations as to when drivers should be able to employ the wings are made more complicated by the return of Kers in 2011.
These systems - which store energy that would have been wasted during braking and reapply it during acceleration to give a power boost of about 80bhp for seven seconds - were first used in 2009 but not used in 2010 on cost grounds.
The teams have decided to use them again in 2011 as a first step towards 2013, when F1 is trying to embrace sustainability.
<table width="231" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td width="5">
F1 is hoping it can insulate itself against accusations it is an irrelevant waste of resources and speed up the adoption of these technologies in road cars
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Mercedes and Ferrari had been reluctant to agree to the 2013 engine rules to the move as recently as a month ago, believing that it was an unnecessary expense at a time when F1 was trying to reduce costs.
And F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone has been consistent in his view that they were a bad idea.
But, as BBC Sport revealed, the rules were agreed in a series of recent meetings between F1's current engine manufacturers - which also include Renault and private company Cosworth - and the final touches were put to the regulations by a steering group of F1 engineers a week ago.
The aim is for the new rules to improve the efficiency of F1 engines by as much as 50%.
Care has been taken to ensure the performance of cars will not be affected and total power outputs will remain at current levels - approximately 750bhp.
By adopting the regulations, F1 hopes to widen its appeal to sponsors - commercial insiders say some companies are reluctant to get involved in F1 because of its image of being wasteful with resources.
It is understood that a series of checks and balances have been written into the regulations to keep costs down and to ensure it should be impossible for one manufacturer to steal a march on the others in terms of performance.
This will primarily be done through resource restriction - such as limiting the amount of people or time that can be devoted to a project.
German car giant Volkswagen has also been heavily involved in the discussions and has privately indicated to F1 insiders that the only way it would consider entering F1 would be if the sport adopted these new rules.
If VW did enter, it would be expected to use its Audi brand.
The adoption of the engines is a triumph for both F1 teams' organisation Fota and FIA president Jean Todt, both of whom have made increasing the future sustainability of F1 a key aim.
Leading figures in F1 hope that the adoption of the new rules will insulate the sport from charges of wastefulness at a time when supplies of fossil fuels are diminishing and there is pressure for the world to cut its production of greenhouse gases.
The aim is that by associating these energy-saving, fuel-efficient technologies with a glamorous and popular sport, they will become desirable in road cars, where their use is already increasing dramatically.
About 600bhp of the 750bhp produced by the engines will come from the four-cylinder single-turbo engine itself, with the rest being provided by Kers energy storage and power-boost systems.
For 2013, the power capacity of the Kers systems will be increased from 60kw to 120kw.
Fuel consumption will be restricted both by limiting fuel flow and introducing a maximum capacity for races.
The new engines will not do more than 10,000 revs per minute - current F1 engines spin at 18,000rpm.
In subsequent years, complex new turbocharging technology called compounding will be introduced to further enhance efficiency.
The regulations have been framed to encourage the pursuit of efficiency in engine design, dramatically increasing the amount of power that can be produced per litre of fuel burnt.
Those lessons in efficiency can then be transferred to road cars so that considerably less fuel is used for a given amount of performance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/gossip/9275796.stm
