Brawn pleased by future engine rules

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn believes the latest change to the future engine regulations in Formula One will have far more relevance for the road car industry.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council initially decided in December to switch to a ’green’ 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo unit from the current 2.4-litre V8 engines from 2013.

However, after pressure from the teams, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and especially engine manufacturers such as Mercedes and Ferrari, a compromise was agreed this week that will see the introduction of a 1.6-litre V6 from 2014.

Brawn believes this sates a manufacturing giant like Mercedes, but there is also a potential knock-on effect.

“There are many considerations we have to make when we are changing the powerplant in Formula One,” said Brawn.

“Obviously the technology in the automotive field is changing and the big question is how relevant do we need to be and how relevant do we want to be?

“There is a justification for relevance in the type of engines we have in the future. We don’t want to end up as a dinosaur in five or 10 years.

“So the technology I see we’re working on with these new engines is the technology that is going to become commonplace in road car engines in the future.

“We’ll see small capacity, turbo-charged, direct injection engines with special KERS (kinetic energy recovery system).

“They’re all going to be the technology we’re going to be using in the future and when you do that you can generate a lot more interest with a manufacturer.”

Brawn also feels there could be an added bonus as he said: “We want to try and get some manufacturers back into Formula One.

“We won’t get that if we continue with a V8 normally aspirated engine. So I think the engine has much more relevance.”