BAR-Honda tests new V8 F1 engine
 

From the iTV F1 website:

"BAR-Honda has revealed that it ran a prototype version of the V8 engine it plans to race in the 2006 Formula 1 World Championship, during a test at Mugello last week.

According to Autosport magazine's website, both the team's test drivers Anthony Davidson and Enrique Bernoldi tried out the new, much smaller, 2.4-litre unit, and lapped four seconds off the pace of a contemporary car.

"It wasn't at any time a question of catching quick laptimes," BAR's technical director Geoff Willis said after the test.

Next year's regulations state that manufacturers must switch to the new V8 format.

The smaller independent teams however, will be allowed to run restricted versions of the current V10 engines for the next two years.

"It is a very strange engine," said Willis.

"Really, really low and shorter than usual, with a lack of power and a lower stroke curve compared to the actual V10, as logical.

"In some ways more similar to a MotoGP engine than an actual F1 V10." "

This is really depressing...

They'll make it work. The 2.4 liter V8 has the same "magical" 300cc per cylinder displacement (I'm sure they picked 2.4 liters on purpose) and I'm confident that the 2.4 liters will make some nice engines...

Heck, look what they did with the 1.5 liter turbo formula...

Mike

I agree.

I wonder when they will be switching to carburators and restrictor plates?

I think they picked 2.4 liters to minimize engineering costs. Their theory was that the teams could simply lop off 2 cylinders from the 3.0L V10 and have a 2.4L V8. I sure hope to get to Indy this year, before the V10's are gone.

We'll see if Honda even decides to stay in it after today's decision from the FIA. That moron Eccelstone is saying if they are found guilty of intentionally fielding an underweight car at Imola (for Button) that both the team and driver will be excluded from this year's world championship. All for 5 kilos under. Why continue to spend untold millions on F1 development if the slightest infraction can carry such consequences?