The Future Of F1

[Ruslan]

They should also increase the points for fastest lap to 3.

 

[siffert_fan]

Latest deal sees F1 bid to attract more celebrities - Pitpass.com

 

[Andyoak]

Great racing creates celebrities, numb nuts ...

 

[Izumi]

Is Formula E the future of motorsport?

It appears Formula E™ has big plan regarding growth, attractiveness for automakers as "laboratory," and possibly calming effect for various environmental groups. Conclusion whether F1 is finish could be premature, however question how many more years have to live is probably legitimate. Dusting off my crystal ball, my number is 5 to 10 max. Electric cars will replace it as mainstream open seater road racing series. Writing is on the wall.

5 years - if governance contains too many errors + technology hop as better racing alternative which will be probably quite sophisticated by then.
10 years - simple technology hop.

 

[RasputinLives]

Formula E has come on in real leaps and bounds over last 5 years and has still manages to stay entertaining. I don't know whether it is the future of F1 (both series are very different) but it's certainly the future.

 

[Angel]

The ideas they're coming up for F1 these days strikes me very much as someone else said before, sorry can't recall who it was, they're just rearranging the deckchairs whilst the ship sinks aren't they?

 

[Ruslan]

Is Formula E the future of motorsport?

It appears Formula E™ has big plan regarding growth, attractiveness for automakers as "laboratory," and possibly calming effect for various environmental groups. Conclusion whether F1 is finish could be premature, however question how many more years have to live is probably legitimate. Dusting off my crystal ball, my number is 5 to 10 max. Electric cars will replace it as mainstream open seater road racing series. Writing is on the wall.

5 years - if governance contains too many errors + technology hop as better racing alternative which will be probably quite sophisticated by then.
10 years - simple technology hop.

Well, I think the crisis point is further out (maybe 20 years) but they will have to address the issue at some point. I assume at some point that F1 will pre-empt more of Formula E's technology and maintain their eminence.

 

[Izumi]

20 years? Will be sponsors willing to support ancient technology and have their name associated with the past rather than future? I have my doubts.

 

[Ruslan]

I am no so sure that the change to electric cars is going to go that fast. I mean they are still a small part of the new car market and people often keep their cars for a decade or longer. So will we reach a point in 10 years where more than a third of the cars on the highway are electric? At least here in the U.S. with its longer driving distances, I doubt it. So I would be hesitant to embrace earthshaking changes occurring in the next 5 to 10 years.

From a practical point of view, just looking at F1, we are looking at new engines regulations for 2021 that look a whole lot like what we have now and I gather will be in force for at least 5 years. So clearly nothing is going to happen in the next 5 years.

So now we are up to 2027. For the next round of engine changes are they then going to go full electric? I doubt it.

 

[Izumi]

Various countries are on the record about their plans vis a vis ICE (and diesel). Public transportation will run mostly electric within next a few years. India will sell only electric cars in 11 years.

We are in technology hop already, however not everyone is paying attention.
It would not surprise me if green movement will be able to write laws quite soon which will restrict smoke generating devices with increasing urgency. At some point polluters (smoke, noise, night lavishly lit streets) will be ostracized, and F1 will be in cross-hairs with their image. I am guessing we will not have to wait for it 20 years. I've read somewhere we have about 12 - 15 years before we reach a point of no return on our way of destruction of our habitat (should we continue as we are today).

 

[Ruslan]

Various countries are on the record about their plans vis a vis ICE (and diesel). Public transportation will run mostly electric within next a few years. India will sell only electric cars in 11 years.

We are in technology hop already, however not everyone is paying attention.
It would not surprise me if green movement will be able to write laws quite soon which will restrict smoke generating devices with increasing urgency. At some point polluters (smoke, noise, night lavishly lit streets) will be ostracized, and F1 will be in cross-hairs with their image. I am guessing we will not have to wait for it 20 years. I've read somewhere we have about 12 - 15 years before we reach a point of no return on our way of destruction of our habitat (should we continue as we are today).

<<India will sell only electric cars in 11 years. >>

That won't be the case in the U.S.

<<It would not surprise me if green movement will be able to write laws quite soon which will restrict smoke generating devices with increasing urgency.>>

Well, in the United States, we are going back to using "beautiful clean coal".

 

[RasputinLives]

Coal powered F1 cars would be cool.

 

[Ruslan]

Coal powered F1 cars would be cool.

Or maybe a Stanley Steamer race series.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Good Morning all.

I have deleted the off topic posts in this thread.

For those that wish to discuss political attitudes to the environment there are several threads where this conversation can continue which would be more appropriate.

Regards

C_a_T the Mod

 

[Angel]

I don't see what F1 would gain by going down the electric engine route. I mean we already have Formula E so what's the point in effectively replicating that? I know you have lots of different racing series with petrol engined cars, so there is nothing to stop there being more than one electric series, but I personally can't see it would benefit F1 to go entirely that way.

 

[RasputinLives]

I have always thought that Formula E and Formula 1 would likely merge at somepoint in the future.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I think a merger is the only realistic future for both series and the direction of travel.

Most car makers and parliaments have declared that they will convert to non fossil fuelled engines totally by around 2040. Whether individual countries like it or not its the way things are going. Once more towns and cities adopt Ultra Low Emission Zones as London has today, then there will be a greater demand from the public for more, cheaper and greener vehicles and that's what will ultimately drive the market for them.

My best guess is that F1 and FE will be a single series no later than 2031. Also, junior formula could go all electric sooner. In particular there could be strong demand for national formula E series to replace formula 3 for example. That could bring racing into City centres and generate a lot of publicity.

 

[Angel]

Okay, what you're saying makes sense I guess. I just hope if they do go for the whole electric motor route they don't also go down the driverless route as well. That would be a step too far!

 

[Grizzly]

Whilst I'm sure that electric motors are here to stay, I am not so sure batteries represent the future of our fuel tanks. I think they are still most likely a stop-gap to higher density/lighter energy stores. Therefore, if F1 wants to maintain its status quo as 'the pinnacle', it has the opportunity to leapfrog Formula E in this regard. Once there is a sniff of viable technology, that is the point to pounce.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I'd love the thought of fuel cell technology being used.

Can you imagine F1 cars running around with a tank of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen? That would certainly be interesting in terms of safety.