I don't think it's workable in any way.MatsNorway wrote: ↑31 Jul 2026, 09:07Yes NA only like i said. Whole concept and post was centered around NA. That is why i did not reply to the rest.
the cylinder count would vary by FIA target HP. 800hp is not easy with a limit of 4L + fuel flow restrictions forcing efficiency. Even with work toward efficiency they would be reving in five digits (wild armchair guess: peak power at 12-14Krpm) with rev limit a few thousands over peak power. That is not a given as a V6. For reference as nascar is 5.86L and runs at most 670hp at 9000krpm. 670hp is with a small restrictor. a smaller 4L would run above 9000.
Having said high reving V6/V8. The benefit of more cylinders is reduced pumping loses. A V10/V12 would run lower RPM and have less pumping losses. So its a balance of pumping loses, weight and friction. The challenge with a low cylinder count engine is the balance, as honda has shown this year. With direct injection the potential is there to get serious vibrations so a V8 or i6 could unlock a easier to balance engine. I guess a Boxer 6 is better then than a V6?
And even today weight is not everything, we still see water to air intercoolers. If you cut down the chassis weight limit more, which they should do, they will drop the packaging friendly water to air intercoolers. Same applies for a new NA engine. You would sacrifice some packaging and fancy shaped radiators for more brute force.
And as what i stipulated indicates you could go lighter and smaller at a penalty of efficiency, but i suspect most would go 4L as soon as chassis hits the hopefully hard to reach weight limit.
The reason i like a more open ruleset and think it could work is because we have a budget cap on the top off all this. And reasonable material limits for engine parts.
With high reving NA-s fuel efficieny goes out the window. More cylinder counts result in less efficiency. V12-s died out because they were less fuel efficient and bigger/heavier. There was no regulation against them in the 90s.
Either you would get a big drop in power and smaller 6 cylinder engines or you'd need to ~double fuel flow making fuel efficiency meaningless..
And by the way weight is crucial in F1. You could even see it today with Red Bull competitiveness in the beginning of the season VS now.
Intercoolers have no relevance to NA engines.

