Auto123.com got in touch with Craig Pollock, the former director of the British American Racing team and now the man behind the PURE F1 private engine project.
Pollock has launched PURE, which stands for Propulsion Universelle et Récuperation d'Énergie, to provide F1 teams with powerplants that comply with the new 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid engine regulations that come into force in 2013.
It was revealed Thursday morning that a team of management and technical partners have been recruited for the project, including former Renault F1 managing director Christian Contzen, aerospace expert Robin Southwell and Jean-Pierre Boudy, an expert in turbocharged engines after working with Renault in the 1970s and 1980, and then with Peugeot Sport.
“I’ve been quietly working on this project for the past three years. This time, we don’t have the money of a tobacco company like we did with BAR in 1999. This time, I want to make sure that the job is well done. But it’s been a tough road,” Pollock told Auto123.com.
The French machining company Mecachrome (which currently assemble and maintain the Renault V8 engines) will be putting together, manufacturing and fabricating the PURE turbo engines while the development is being done by TEOS Powertrain Engineering (owned by Mecachrome), IFP Energies nouvelles, which is a public research, innovation and industrial training, whose mission is to develop efficient technologies, economic, clean and sustainable in energy, transport and environment, and D2T.
“Mercedes has about 400 employees working on their F1 engine. Renault has about 300. Their overheads are extremely high. With the kind of partnership we have established, we can count on a pool of more than 1000 engineers. It’s very cost effective,” said Pollock.
“I started putting the pieces of the puzzle together a few years ago. But we had to wait until the FIA released the 2013 engine regulations to start working for real. I had inside knowledge that the FIA would go for a small turbo engine. I’m investing a lot of my own money into this, plus the money of private investors. Normally, the 2013, turbo engine rules cannot be changed. But this is F1 and anything can happen. Mr. Ecclestone is opposed to the introduction of this small turbo engine but the technical decision maker is the FIA, not the holder of the commercial rights. But I am fully aware that rules can change,” Pollock told to Auto123.com
“We started working for real on the engine in December. We hope to benefit from some sort of a head start because the current engine suppliers will need to continue working on their V8s until the end of 2012. It’s something we don’t have to do,” Pollock added.
But it seems that not only Bernie Ecclestone is not in favour of the arrival of small four cylinder engines in F1. On forums, fans openly say that are against these small engines.
“Going hybrid and greener is a reality. Look at what the car manufacturers are doing in the real world. Porsche is currently developing a four cylinder engine. Mercedes is also working on downsizing its engines. It’s a reality. I think we all have to make a contribution to life. Formula 1 is the perfect platform to bring these new technologies back not only into road cars but also aircraft engines, marine engines and others as TEOS and IFP are involved in several areas, not just cars,” Pollock added.
FIA president Jean Todt apparently gave his support to Pollock’s project. “I must admit that since the news was released this morning, we’ve been bombarded with requests. The news drew a lot of interest from the F1 community. I will be in Barcelona for the Grand Prix later this month to attend the first meeting of the engine suppliers. I’ll be present and I’ll be participating in the discussions,” Pollock concluded.
Pollock has launched PURE, which stands for Propulsion Universelle et Récuperation d'Énergie, to provide F1 teams with powerplants that comply with the new 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid engine regulations that come into force in 2013.
It was revealed Thursday morning that a team of management and technical partners have been recruited for the project, including former Renault F1 managing director Christian Contzen, aerospace expert Robin Southwell and Jean-Pierre Boudy, an expert in turbocharged engines after working with Renault in the 1970s and 1980, and then with Peugeot Sport.
“I’ve been quietly working on this project for the past three years. This time, we don’t have the money of a tobacco company like we did with BAR in 1999. This time, I want to make sure that the job is well done. But it’s been a tough road,” Pollock told Auto123.com.
The French machining company Mecachrome (which currently assemble and maintain the Renault V8 engines) will be putting together, manufacturing and fabricating the PURE turbo engines while the development is being done by TEOS Powertrain Engineering (owned by Mecachrome), IFP Energies nouvelles, which is a public research, innovation and industrial training, whose mission is to develop efficient technologies, economic, clean and sustainable in energy, transport and environment, and D2T.
“Mercedes has about 400 employees working on their F1 engine. Renault has about 300. Their overheads are extremely high. With the kind of partnership we have established, we can count on a pool of more than 1000 engineers. It’s very cost effective,” said Pollock.
“I started putting the pieces of the puzzle together a few years ago. But we had to wait until the FIA released the 2013 engine regulations to start working for real. I had inside knowledge that the FIA would go for a small turbo engine. I’m investing a lot of my own money into this, plus the money of private investors. Normally, the 2013, turbo engine rules cannot be changed. But this is F1 and anything can happen. Mr. Ecclestone is opposed to the introduction of this small turbo engine but the technical decision maker is the FIA, not the holder of the commercial rights. But I am fully aware that rules can change,” Pollock told to Auto123.com
“We started working for real on the engine in December. We hope to benefit from some sort of a head start because the current engine suppliers will need to continue working on their V8s until the end of 2012. It’s something we don’t have to do,” Pollock added.
But it seems that not only Bernie Ecclestone is not in favour of the arrival of small four cylinder engines in F1. On forums, fans openly say that are against these small engines.
“Going hybrid and greener is a reality. Look at what the car manufacturers are doing in the real world. Porsche is currently developing a four cylinder engine. Mercedes is also working on downsizing its engines. It’s a reality. I think we all have to make a contribution to life. Formula 1 is the perfect platform to bring these new technologies back not only into road cars but also aircraft engines, marine engines and others as TEOS and IFP are involved in several areas, not just cars,” Pollock added.
FIA president Jean Todt apparently gave his support to Pollock’s project. “I must admit that since the news was released this morning, we’ve been bombarded with requests. The news drew a lot of interest from the F1 community. I will be in Barcelona for the Grand Prix later this month to attend the first meeting of the engine suppliers. I’ll be present and I’ll be participating in the discussions,” Pollock concluded.