Former three-time Formula 1 World Champion and Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said he was very supportive of the idea of increasing F1 engine power to 1000 horsepower.
Representatives of the F1 engine suppliers recently met in Geneva and discussed the plan that would see the power of the engines increase to the magical number of 1000bhp. British magazine Autosport Thursday reports that the discussions are still ongoing. Talking to the Autosport reporters, Lauda claimed that fans are disappointed by the current generation of 750bhp cars, which he thinks are too easy to drive. It is well documented that the turbo cars that Lauda and other great racers Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna drove in the early ‘80s exceeded 1200bhp.
If the engine suppliers agree next month on a simple way to increase engine power, then the Austrian thinks F1 can produce a really exciting platform for 2017. "I wish we would have a futuristic car that attracts the fans for at least five years," Lauda explained. "It should have 1200bhp, plus wide tires and aerodynamic characteristics, which delivers a steep power curve that becomes very critical at the limit. The hybrid technology should remain, but we need more power. This can be easily achieved if you allow bigger fuel cells and more fuel flow,” the former Ferrari and McLaren driver added. Lauda said he is quite disappointed to see that current F1 cars are too easy to drive. "Currently F1 cars allow every other GP2 or F3 driver to be as quick as established drivers within a very short time and without taking too much risk. Today you can drive a F1 car like a road car. I could do it, you could do it”, Lauda concluded.
Recent Articles
|
Racing Multimedia
Recommendations |