No more engine whine! Could Formula 1 go diesel?
Formula 1 used to be incredibly innovative. Getting 1,300 horsepower out of a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine on 60 pounds of boost or experimenting with aerodynamics before CFD and sophisticated wind tunnels made F1 racing exciting for all kinds of fans. Today, Formula 1 is so sterile in its technology that only PhDs are enthused.
A Ferrari test driver now says that Formula 1 may be ready to allow diesel after the success of the Audi oil burners (shown) at LeMans. An Indy racer powered by a Cummins diesel once sat on the pole for the Indy 500, but I couldn't find any mention of a relatively modern Formula 1 car trying diesel technology. F1 engines have always been known for their high-revving screams down the straightaway, so it's unlikely that the muffled turbo-diesel exhaust note would be welcomed.
Now that fuel economy and green thinking are more important than high-pitched whines, perhaps the timing is right for Cummins to return to racing.
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[Source: Wheels24]
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