The high-tech materials helping Renault in its F1 rise

The Renault F1 team is at the vanguard of innovative solutions pushing development of the V6 turbo hybrid engine rules, embracing the full potential of material science in its bid to get back to the top

Jake Boxall-Legge Sep 29, 2020, 3:45 PM

Engineering

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The current turbo-hybrid Formula 1 power units take an unfair amount of flak. Mostly, the pejoratives directed at them are predicated on the fact that they're not the wailing V12s or screaming V10s that past F1 fans were treated to, while other points of concern are usually in relation to their hefty price tags and complexity.

Fine, the noise might not be as tinnitus-inducing, but the guttural snarls of the current cars offer a different soundscape to each event. The old engines were a Red Hot Chili Peppers stadium tour - the current power units are a Nirvana gig in a small Seattle club. Perhaps the points about cost and complexity are fair, but as far as F1's bid to further the advancement of technology is concerned, the current powertrains are a necessity to keep it relevant and attractive to manufacturers.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.