Alright when was that again.....?

[Damage Inc]

I think Honda will plow money in to making the Moto GP better so that others can actually ride the thing fast. Marc Marquez get's injured and that bike is NOWHERE.

 

[LeSunTzu]

I think Honda will plow money in to making the Moto GP better so that others can actually ride the thing fast. Marc Marquez get's injured and that bike is NOWHERE.

It is nowhere because MM is not riding it. When he's back it will be a different story.

I don't know the moto GP team budgets, but I guess it's peanuts compared to F1 and has a significant impact on bike sales. It is also nothing compared to the costs of R&D involved in producing 0 emission cars in 30 years.

 

[pcraenme]

Honda leaving a Verstappen in the cold... history repeating... and sad news for the future of F1 in general.

 

[Tim Meuris]

Very sad to see honda leave f1. It makes sense and is a logical decision but for a Hondafan it's just sad news...

 

[Jim Layee]

I been saying for decade they need 1 engine
But one manufacturer can't build them, even if they do not compete could still be perceived conflict of interests supplying certain teams with best engines on dyno

Must be a joint effort from a number of manufactures to build best engine ever
Teams would get engines by drawing numbers nothing fairer then that
teams build chassis
Give them more choice of tyres
Then have 2 days racing 3 races at 50% distance triple points 3 chances to get it right it wrong

So 50% more racing, faster cars with 1/2 the fuel load what is 50KG worth a lap ?
Level playing field then we really see what car design and drivers are best

amen

And you've been wrong for a decade. This would not be F1 .

 

[Crekkan]

One thing I can think of for F1 itself is a new engine formula, though I think many others have thought the same.

An idea could be to have V2's and I2's with Hybrid power and V4's with a more limited KERS-like option for something cheaper, easily accessible for smaller engine manufacturers, yet still relatively 'road-relevant'.

You would need to ensure a relative balance of power between them, but it would end up satisfying both camps in the interim until near or fully electric power is possible without changing grand prix lengths or forcing the introduction of an extra car for each driver. When V2/I2 Hybrids become cheaper, F1 can phase out the V4's.

Plus you have engine distinction again. Two and a half different engine types with relative balance sounds good to me. If speed is a problem then reduce the car weight and length (as many people keep asking for, me included), refuelling as a last resort option.

Inb4 'BUt MuH SouND?!'

 

[Nick Hill]

The day it goes full EV is the day I quit watching it, and I have watched since the 70's.

You're not alone,

The day it goes full EV is the day I quit watching it, and I have watched since the 70's.

You're far from the only person saying that. I'm not saying this is the case with you personally but, in my opinion, if the racing is good, if the engineering competition is compelling...many people saying "I won't watch" won't follow through. I would go as far as saying, if/when the day of EV F1 comes, the number of new fans attracted to the sport will outnumber the number of fans lost.

I love the sound of an ICE. I love the engineering, I even love the smell! But I think you have to take a step back and not focus on what we are losing but rather what we are gaining. With ICEs, we are long past the point where we are only seeing incremental improvements in the tech (this goes for road cars and racing). With EVs, the door is open to another golden age of motoring/racing. Cars going farther/faster by significant leaps, batteries charging faster and holding more charge, etc.

It takes a mind shift, but I think it could be a lot of fun and, I think, most enthusiasts won't want to be on the outside looking in.

 

[Copef1]

You're not alone,

You're far from the only person saying that. I'm not saying this is the case with you personally but, in my opinion, if the racing is good, if the engineering competition is compelling...many people saying "I won't watch" won't follow through. I would go as far as saying, if/when the day of EV F1 comes, the number of new fans attracted to the sport will outnumber the number of fans lost.

I love the sound of an ICE. I love the engineering, I even love the smell! But I think you have to take a step back and not focus on what we are losing but rather what we are gaining. With ICEs, we are long past the point where we are only seeing incremental improvements in the tech (this goes for road cars and racing). With EVs, the door is open to another golden age of motoring/racing. Cars going farther/faster by significant leaps, batteries charging faster and holding more charge, etc.

It takes a mind shift, but I think it could be a lot of fun and, I think, most enthusiasts won't want to be on the outside looking in.

I think going full EV would be a hard sell for fans, especially since electric vehicles are only about 3% of world wide vehicle sales right now, and most estimates say it will only be around 18% by 2030. I know its a cool technology, but I don't see ICE leaving motorsports for at least 20 years. There is already a formula E championship, so I see no need for F1 to go all electric anytime in the near future.

 

[Antony Snook]

You have missed half of the point. Honda's message is F1 involves too much development costs for a technology that has no future.

The technology has a future that is why they have V6 turbo's. As much as we want to hear a V8 or bigger that would have no relevance to the road market. Technology filters into road cars otherwise it would not be of use to road car companies to get into F1.

 

[Antony Snook]

Red Bull could buy the Honda F1 department, from memory, the Honda engines are made in the UK, so maybe its possible they could take it over?

It was my belief Honda engines where made in Japan. But there are many places in England and Europe that could build it closer to home. You could re badge the engine but then no development.

 

[Antony Snook]

I have said it before this is a F1 blog for live F1. This is not a Mod site. Look around for one or request one outside here.

 

[Richard Wilks]

All this talk about relevance is starting to be absolute nonsense.

Battery cars are crap as sports cars. Any Battery car can't do more than one lap around the ring, ONE LAP, without needing to cool off and/or recharge. We already had what, years of FE? Things didnt improve like they promised.

The ACO at Le Mans is already trying to showcase hydrogen as an alternative that will allow electric cars to actually race the 24h just like ICE/hybrid cars, because it's clear at this point that batteries will never be ready.

Of course, Hydrogen has also immense problems, and its use for powering cars is highly innefficient, but nobody can stop the "green march" so get ready for the next next big thing.


So unless F1 needs to worry about being relevant to mopeds, or Zoes/leafs, or wants to pander to people who worry more about the next cellphone rather than the next car, they should once and for all realize that their goal is to run a SPORT, and one that makes the fastest car possible to run around 300km in one go. And that is not going to happen, if they are pandering to corporations worrying about advertisement for their next school run product.

 

[Nick Hill]

I think going full EV would be a hard sell for fans, especially since electric vehicles are only about 3% of world wide vehicle sales right now, and most estimates say it will only be around 18% by 2030. I know its a cool technology, but I don't see ICE leaving motorsports for at least 20 years. There is already a formula E championship, so I see no need for F1 to go all electric anytime in the near future.

Oh yeah, I don't think it's imminent by any means. Just saying I think the % of people who say "that'll be it for me" is much higher than the % that actually tunes out.

 

[RichardHessels]

I think going full EV would be a hard sell for fans, especially since electric vehicles are only about 3% of world wide vehicle sales right now, and most estimates say it will only be around 18% by 2030. I know its a cool technology, but I don't see ICE leaving motorsports for at least 20 years. There is already a formula E championship, so I see no need for F1 to go all electric anytime in the near future.

Next to that, current Formula E's are as slow as a F4 car.
The reason they drive grooved tires, is that there is less rubber to the asphalt.
Otherwise their batteries won't hold. and the cars would look much less cool wit narrow tires.
I don't see a F1 class car being made electric and not weight twice as much.

 

[Injafaz]

Not wanting to throw ICE on the conversation but EV is a bit of a PHEV.

F1 talking about their DNA makes me want to HEV.

 

[rastaqki]

Honda

so you think he can’t beat Ham, and Max is the same levell to Bottas where do you find this wishdom?
if you can find the statitics at the age of bought at 23j old, you will think again.

Wow man, your reading comprehension is freaking backwards
He had exactly the opposite point - why change Bottas for Verstappen if right now they have easy 1-2 and after the change they still would have 1-2, but Max would challenge Hamilton much more than Bottas. That could lead to crashes while fighting each other and risking the 1-2.

 

[Durge Driven]

And you've been wrong for a decade. This would not be F1 .

Of course, silly me, F1 must be the only motorsport doesn't have a even playing field

 

[Sasha Jednak]

We should have poll for: “How long it will take for public news of RB engine that was agreed before new concord agreement?”

 

[Appie Kuipers]

Wow man, your reading comprehension is freaking backwards
He had exactly the opposite point - why change Bottas for Verstappen if right now they have easy 1-2 and after the change they still would have 1-2, but Max would challenge Hamilton much more than Bottas. That could lead to crashes while fighting each other and risking the 1-2.

Drop your cristalbal, then you will see things clearly.

 

[Charlie Lockwood]

Hypothetically and in my personal opinion I think Red Bull's best bet could be to buy Honda's engine IP and do their own power unit. I suppose Andy Cowell who headed up Mercedes HPP engine programme is a free agent too.
Honda said electrification was one big reason for not continuing in their PR, so I could see them wanting to secure some value from their investment to date.
With the budget cap era making it cheaper to fund a race team, maybe that frees up resource to run an engine programme?
Should be interesting whatever happens!