Ferrari’s Luca De Montezemolo says V8 is Formula 1 DNA
The Ferrari team has recently disagreed with Jean Todt’s V4 idea and Luca De Montezemolo gives a fresh voice to the dispute. Luca commented that the V8 engine is the DNA of Formula 1 and must not lose it in the name of economy.
Jean Todt, President of Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), recently stated that Formula 1 should make use of V4 engines to make the sport environmentally friendlier and more importantly, economical for the smaller teams. The V4 were tentatively
poised to be introduced starting from the 2013 season but already many teams and commentators have opposed the idea.
Ferrari’s President, Luca, has stated that Formula 1 is not going to give up V8 engines after being already downgraded from V12 engines.
“We must not lose the DNA of Formula One. What's next is one cylinder, we're not building motorcycles. The real challenge is to make an eight or 12 cylinder engine economical,” said the Italian.
Before Luca, Formula 1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone had commented that Formula 1 is a sport of the rich. Bernie said that Ferrari and the sound of the engine make Formula 1 the pinnacle of the motor sport industry.
Bernie added that smaller teams should withdraw from F1 if it is out of their budget, pointing towards the Virgin and the HRT teams.
Todt’s idea has also gathered some support from the smaller teams like Williams. Adam Parr, Williams’ Chairman, commented recently that the V4 is good for Formula 1.
“The (V8) technology is dated, it's not what's going on out in the real world and I think it's a major, major barrier to bringing in new partners and growing the sport,” added Parr. He also added that the hybrid Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) will
be four times more powerful than what the teams use today.
The 2011 engines are Bernie’s favourite V8’s. 2013 is poised to have the V4 installed in the cars but the decision can be overturned or postponed because the opposition is bigger than the support.
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