We cannot hide the fact that we, together with the majority of Formula 1 fans, were deeply underwhelmed by the sound of the new Formula 1 V6 turbo units when we first heard all 22 of them on the starting line of the 2014 Australian Grand Prix last weekend. However, we also cannot jump to conclusions and blame the six cylinders.
There are several reasons why the new 1.6-liter V6 Turbo engines sound quieter and very different to the 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8 units of last year, and it’s not just because they have two cylinders less compared to the V8s.
Yes, losing two cylinders does affect the sound quality, but it has nothing to do with volume. A sport bike usually has a four-cylinder engine, yet it sounds extremely loud.
So, why exactly do 2014 Formula 1 cars sound so quieter? The answer is: turbochargers + lower RPM.
Turbochargers work by recovering waste energy in the exhaust and feeding it back into the engine intake. In layman’s terms, turbochargers use exhaust gases to boost engine power, instead of just letting the exhaust gases exit like on a naturally-aspirated engine. This significantly reduces exhaust noise.
To demonstrate the sound difference between a turbocharged engine and its N/A equivalent, I have brought you two videos of typical sporty road cars; in the above video, you have the new Porsche 911 GT3 with a naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter flat six engine. It revs up to 9000 RPM.
The second video features the more powerful Porsche 911 Turbo S, which is equipped with the same 3.8-liter flat six engine found on the GT3. However, this engine employs two turbochargers for additional power. It revs up to 6750 RPM.
The sound difference is quite obvious. You can hear just how quiet the 911 Turbo S is compared to the less powerful 911 GT3, and that is mainly because of the twin turbos in the former’s engine.
RPM also affects engine sound. 2014 Formula 1 cars, although limited to 15,000 RPM, are barely reaching the 12,000 RPM mark as we saw in Australia; the V8s used to hit 18,000 RPM, while the V10s of the early 2000s exceeded 19,000 RPM.
The engine sound problem is fixable, but it will be costly both in terms of time and budget. In the meantime, brace yourselves for an awfully quiet year of Formula 1.