7 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

Only 4 engines are allowed for a car during a season in Formula One now.

 

But how was it in former years?

 

1991: Ferrari was solding 6 engines per weekend to Minardi! 16 race weekends => 96 engines!

1995: Mercedes used 60-80 engines during a year.

1997: Sauber used 40 Ferrari engines

 

Any more information, engine numbers?

 

So it seems that in the 90s there were less and less engines. Why?

[Kalmake]

98-99 McLaren 200 per year is often mentioned as a "pinnacle".

 

Maybe customers got less and less engines as more reliable tech came along. Top works teams would use more due to increasing budgets and unlimited testing.

Edited by Kalmake, 28 April 2017 - 14:57.

[HistoryFan]

Prost also had around 200 engines in 1999

[BRG]

Through the 1950s & 60s, engines would often last for severla races, so a team might only use a dozen or so a year.  The rot really set in when the practice of using qualifying engines became prevalent.  A driver might use an already used engine for practice, then fit a special one for qualifying, then fit a new one for the race. Effectively they used two engines per car per race. Of course, these engines went back to the builders for a rebuild rather than compete replacements, so in practice a team might use still use only a dozen in a season but all rebuilt multiple times. 

[SenorSjon]

Prost also had around 200 engines in 1999

 

And did about 200 laps that season. He had a very poor year.

 

The number I've heard was ~100 engines/year per McLaren driver in the early noughties. Don't know if they were scrap metal afterwards or just had to be rebuild. I don't think the current 4 engines/year practice is saving a penny. Swapping all those engines between sessions to save fresh engines is more work than fitting a new one once in a while.

[OO7]

200 engines per year!!!!!!!  

[SenorSjon]

1 fp, 1 q and 1 race. 2 drivers and 18 races. That is 108 engines. Add unlimited testing as well.

[l2k2]

200 engines per year!!!!!!!

 

Yes. That number is just mindblowing. Even with a new engine for every weekend, qualifying session and race, one should need just around 100 engines a year.

 

Oh, obviously the "T-car" must also have the new engines, as there is a new better version for every weekend.

 

3 cars × 17 races = 51 car weekends.

3 engines per car per week × 51 cars weekends = 153 engines.

Some 20000 km testing at a private race track. A total of 200 engines seems doable, and almost reasonable considering that a proper racing engine should last for around 400 km -> 50 engines for testing ;-)

 

Its already 13 years from the single engine for a weekend rule, how time flies.

Edited by l2k2, 29 April 2017 - 20:29.