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F1's options to define its next powertrain step

Though F1 cars will look very different come 2021, it will be another five years before any major change to the engine regulations is made. But should F1 stick with its current formula, become even more sustainable, or go fan-friendly?

Jake Boxall-Legge Dec 10, 2019, 2:19 PM

Those who have anticipated significant change in the engine regulations for the 2021 Formula 1 season will have been left somewhat disappointed. While the aero rules have been granted a complete overhaul, the powertrain will remain largely untouched.

Furthermore, anyone hoping for fundamental change and the return of naturally-aspirated engines will also be left disappointed. Hybrid power units are in F1 to stay, and any deviation from them given their efficiency and the amount of resource put into them would be more damaging in the long run. After all, when faced with a choice between building a sustainable championship and pleasing a few people whose spectacle lenses are rose-tinted, the decision's not hard to make.

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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.