As of this year, the Formula One championship will see its rules change in a very important way. Whereas for the past few years, cars were running 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engines, now the rules dictate that only turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 configurations are allowed.
Renault seems very proud of its direct-injected, downsized engine that it’s taken the time to take rather artistic shots of it from multiple angles.
Naturally, it’s a pretty spectacular thing, given it features the very latest tech that helps it make a claimed 760 hp (with the aid of electricity, and around 600 hp on its own) and spin all the way up to 15,000 rpm (some engines kissed the 20,000 rpm mark before the rule change, though).
Only five of these will be made per driver, per year, so they also have to be longer-lasting than their old non-turbo counterparts.
The 2014 season starts as usual, at the Melbourne GP Circuit in Australia, on March 16, then moves to Malaysia some two weeks later. It should be an interesting start, given the drastic changes to the cars and rules that have taken place over the 2013 season.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
