Formula 1 is approaching a major technological shift, as from 2014 all teams will switch to 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines. Following Renault’s reveal of its all-new powerplant, the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team is now offering fans the first taste of how its new 2014 Power Units will sound on the track.
Mercedes AMG released a video of a simulated lap of the Monza circuit, with the soundtrack being provided by the new turbocharged V6 unit. The audio recording of the engine was conducted using a development engine at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth, UK.
The simulated lap of the Monza circuit was then synced to a lap of the circuit at the team’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulator at team HQ in Brackley, UK. The result gives us a fairly accurate impression of how Mercedes AMG’s new F1 engine will sound in next year’s Grand Prix, as we can hear it peaking at 15,000 rpm, while the turbocharger spins at speeds of up to 125,000 rpm.
While from a technological point of view, squeezing more than 700 horsepower from a 1.6-liter engine sounds like a miracle, the actual sound of the new engines doesn’t quite send shivers down my spine like every race car (especially a Formula 1 car) should do.
You can judge for yourselves by watching Mercedes AMG’s video below and then compare the sound of the new engine with that of a 1989 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 from a Ferrari F1/89 and of more recent 2000-era Ferrari V10 and V8 F1 cars.
By Dan Mihalascu
VIDEO