F1racing

If you want a quick history on Cosworth, it is a british company, founded in 1958 by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth (COStin and duckWORTH). Many people still think that Ford owns Cosworth but this is a legacy of a past partnership. Cosworth is still based in Northampton in the United Kingdom and has satellite factory in Torrance, California.

Cosworth have been in Formula One since 1963 but no F1 teams used the engine from 2007 on. Cosworth will now power to four new teams: Team US F1; Campos Grand Prix; Lotus F1 Team and Manor Grand Prix. Click here for all Formula One constructors engine choices. Surprisingly, Cosworth is second most successful engine in F1 and only Ferrari have more grand prix wins under their belt.

No one knows the output of the current F1 engines but the rumor is that Cosworth needs more fuel to output the same Kw when compared to the current best engine on the grid, the Mercedes FO 108V. Fuel efficiency and weight is just  as key as the engine output and any Formula One team that can run a lap to two more than their opponents will be able to take advantage in pit stop strategies. So the hungry for fuel Cosworth is said to be automatically disadvantaged in the 2010 F1 season. But who knows…

The Mercedes FO 108V is said to be the best engine in the pits in 2009. Check out the awesome power of this engine:

Here are the specs:

Have you ever wanted to know the FIA technical regulations for 2009 and 2010? FIA Technical Regulations 2009 - FIA Technical Regulations 2010.

Despite the rumours you have heard around the web, there is no significant differences:

• All F1 engines are naturally aspirated V8′s of 2400cc

• Engines are limited to 18,000rpm

• The weight is exactly 95kg (each manufacturer easily reaches this regulated minimum weight)

• Engine blocks are constructed of forged aluminium alloy, because of the weight advantages it gives in comparison to steel. Other materials would maybe give some extra advantages, but to limit costs, the FIA has forbidden all non-ferro materials.

• Crankshaft and piston rods are Iron based for strength.

• At its maximum pace the current V8 engines consume around 60 litres of petrol for 100km of racing.

• It’s not exactly known how much oil such a top engine contains, but this oil is for 70% in the engine, while the other 30% is in a dry-sump lubrication system that changes oil within the engine three to four times a minute.

• Before its first track time and after each race, each engine is tested on an engine dyno to validate its performance and identify problems. A videoclip of Renault’s RS24 on the dyno can be found here.

So will the Cosworth V8 be good enough to win races in 2010? Given their 3 year absence from the F1 arena, I think reliability will be an issue in their first year. However, their history as a winning engine cannot be disputed and they will likely be the winning engine again. Probably sooner rather than later.