Putting an entire industry through the tracks

The final race of the 2014 Formula 1 (F1) motorsport championship, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, ended gloriously with Lewis Hamilton crowned world champion for the second time in his career.

Many have written about the activities and expectations over the race weekend and it is not my intention to repeat what they said here. The important thing is that after six years since the first F1 race in 2009, the Yas Marina Circuit has become one of the world most advanced venues of motorsport and expected to get much better, especially given that sporting and commercial activities are now much varied.

The seating capacity at the circuit has been increased to 60,000, but almost double that is available for spectators around the beautiful circuit. Given all these, Etihad Airways has extended its title sponsorship of the F1 race beyond the original 2016 race to the delight of more than 500 million followers around the world, which adds to the already established attraction that is the UAE.

Now that the racing season has ended, the technical aspects of F1 activity are a non-stop business the year round. The experience gained through this year is now under intense analysis to improve race car design and performance in coming years.

Oil companies which sponsor or partner F1 teams may now be looking at fuel performance and whether it can be improved. Regulations dictate that the petrol used for F1 racing must be close to the commercial fuel available for ordinary passenger cars. But oil companies supplying the fuel at no cost to the racing teams can adjust some of the parameters to suit the conditions at each race with the approval of the governing body of F1.

Limits

This year, fuel consumption for each race is set at a maximum of 100kg per car, and this parameter has become important to watch during the race, though all cars apparently found the fuel sufficient to finish the race. Before, there were no limits on fuel volume, but as a result of a new and efficient engine, F1 governors decided to limit the fuel as a token contribution to environmental concerns.

Oil companies are also watchful of the engine lubricants performance as their formulation could be directly affecting those for ordinary cars. Therefore, testing the lubricants in F1 cars over many races is a good indication of what needs to be done to improve performance.

The engine and its associate system components are also benefiting from these performance, in that they aid in the development of ordinary passenger cars or even that of “super cars”, the powerful and fastest cars sportingly plying the roads. The small 1.5 litres V6 engine used this year is combined with a turbocharger and Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KER) in addition to the energy recovery system (ERS), which charges the battery pack during braking.

This improves the overall efficiency and reduces the size of the engine. Such systems are gradually finding their way into commercial vehicles and more can be expected especially if oil prices rise.

Tyres

While no changes are expected on the power systems in 2015, some racing teams are calling for a rule change to do away with the V6 engine, claiming that its cost is high, which may drive away some manufacturers or the smaller racing teams. However, any changes in this respect can only come for the 2016 season.

Tyres have become race deciders more than once. Therefore their use is governed by very strict rules with respect to tyre changes, the number of tyres used and their type in dry or wet conditions. A single manufacturer — Pirelli — works closely with racing teams and tests all used tyres to improve future production.

This should dispel the notion that F1 teams and their associated manufacturers and suppliers only work during the racing season. In fact it is work all the year round and it is no surprise that testing of some cars and systems started the day after the last race, at the Yas Marina complex itself where, for instance, McLaren team tested its new hybrid engine supplied by Honda for the next season.

This is another function for Yas Marina, and which will improve the economics of the venue.

It is evident then that the oil companies, engine and car manufacturers, electronic sensors and control suppliers, tyre manufacturers and many others are not in F1 racing for the glamour or marketing opportunities alone. They also do so for serious testing and development of all systems to the benefit of the wider public.

The writer is former head of the Energy Studies Department at the Opec Secretariat in Vienna.