It’s a pretty normal event in Formula 1, a little less so in MotoGP, but the possibility of blowing an engine in a Grand Prix race must always be expected.
After all, we’re talking about Engines that reach 18,000 rpm, 1,000 cc displacement that is floating around 280 hp with a life whose days are numbered from the start anyway. In fact, they have to withstand at least 1,500 km. Mileage that takes into account the fact that a driver covers an average of 600 km from Friday to Sunday, which multiplied by 18 GP laps results in 10,800 km. Divide that number by the 7 engines the regulations allow, and you get the expected life of an engine.
Indeed, Motorcycle engines are … “happy” because maximum revs are reached and maintained for less than 30% of the racing time, that will be 70% in F1. The reason is simple: the corners.
In F1, the huge downforce achieved thanks to the aerodynamic loading allows drivers to keep the pedal on the ground, but this is not possible for their colleagues. Not to mention the extra time they have due to the shorter braking sections.
Anyway, on Sunday Yamaha burned two engines: Lorenzo is at the end of the warm-up and Rossi has eight laps in the race.
The question, or rather the two questions, is: Was it a calculation error? And what happened after that?
For the first question Fulvio Solms tried to find an answer for Corriere dello Sport by Claudio Lombardi, 74 years old, designer for Fiat, Lancia, Alfa, Ferrari and Aprilia.
“F1 is an immature technology – explains Lombardi – because from 2014 the regulations will be more about efficiency than performance. The number of engines is limited, some parts are standardized, in short, there are various restrictions so you can evolve and experiment Among other things, the bar has been set very high for these units and everything is complicated.
On the contrary, when it comes to bicycles, we have mature technology, even if the limitation of the standard control unit has led some to hone their research in order to get better performance. In my opinion, the reason for the two burned out Yamaha engines is different: I get the impression that they focused everything on the extremely long straight stretch (1.41 meters – editor’s note) on which they got their full and sustained Unfold your performance. Maybe they were working on the ignition advance.
They took some risks that happened to cause Valentino’s engine to burn out, but also Lorenzo’s flying victory by just 19 thousandths of a second. A reasonable risk? I think so, because it could have been decisive, even if the price paid was high. If they hadn’t taken it, Honda would have won. “
So what is Yamaha’s fault? Maybe because you didn’t pull Rossi’s engine after seeing Lorenzo’s detonation in a cloud of smoke?
It doesn’t seem like that.
Indeed with the third engine of the seasonLorenzo had driven in FP3, FP4, Q2, WUP and in the race in Jerez; FP3, FP4, Q2, WUP and the race at Le Mans; FP3, FP4, Q2 and WUP in Mugello. Rossi’s, on the other hand, had run in FP3, FP4, Q2, WUP and the race in Jerez. WUP and the race at Le Mans; WUP and the race in Mugello.
So it was newer. And according to the Japanese engineers, no risk of blowing due to the mileage.
However, the second question needs to be answered: what happened?
The long, heavy, white smoke clearly indicates engine failure. Rossi spoke of an insecurity on the last lap that led him to continue running in the braking section of San Donato.
Could this “uncertainty” have been caused by an involuntary pull over the speed? Maybe then driver error? It is possible, if unlikely, for someone with Rossi’s experience.
Indeed, we have to remember it Over-revving the acceleration is impossible because the electronics switch on and the limiter prevents it. On the other hand, if the engine is pulled, as in the case of heavy braking, which quickly hits the gears, It is possible to exceed the maximum permissible speed.
In this case the valves would suffer and possibly get damaged. In some cases of severe damage, we have even seen the stem break and lodge in the piston crown. But even this part can be damaged up to the point of burning.
In any case, we can only make one hypothesis. Only when Yamaha decides to let us know can we be sure of what happened. At the moment it is only certain that the temperatures were under control until the engine failed. Hence it was sudden damage not caused by overheating 8 laps in the slipstream of Lorenzo.
The doubt remains why no one thought of replacing Rossi’s motor as a precaution.
Silvano Galbusera Radio24 replied: “We could have imagined anything but blown an engine. Vale actually had fewer kilometers than Jorge. It would have been risky to change him and go to the GP without ever doing a lap.”
In short, how to say, “Shit happens!” In English
The defective part batch hypothesis still contains water. In other words, parts with manufacturing defects that could not withstand the intended mileage.
Yamaha will try to find out what separates us from the Barcelona Grand Prix within the week. And hopefully that’s the case, because the rules say even the engines that haven’t been punched must stay “frozen” in development.
In other words, internal components can be changed, possibly with other products from another supplier, but the designs and original dimensions cannot be changed.
Iwata drivers should be concerned – The straight stretch in Barcelona is no joke either.