Honda withdraw from F1 at the end of 2021.

[chrisb]

In a way I look forward to an electric powered bike but one for major thing, the sound, it may sound trivial [no pun intended but who is proud?] but my last bike had the most beautiful bark and music a bike could possibly have, the Triumph triple in a Sprint ST with that gorgeous pipe layout was heaven and I loved it, if I could convert this current bike to that exhaust I would be very happy - I love music, I love so many sounds, the 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder Vanwall or Maserati, the 6 cylinder Ferrari's the coventry climax V8's and then the cossies, the V12's the flat 12's the H16 and then there is that dreadful noise that emits from Formula E or MotoE and it just puts me off, and I also consider it dangerous [as having worked with people with hearing difficulties in the past- they will struggle] but what attracts me is that beautiful torque - the seamless acceleration  is just as you say Rene a very positive experience but the noise, ooh no 

[Carl]

I would adapt easily to an electric car, with just a trace of regret that my canyon storming days are near an end, but motorsport is better to the tune of open exhausts.

                                                                

                                                                            

[René]

Absolutely guys, the sound is something most definitely missing with electric vehicles. I’ve driven Alfa Romeos for many years and the roaring sound of those smooth V6 engines is something I miss to this day. Not even to speak about the screaming racing engines and the experience at the track!

After re-reading my previous post I must have sounded like an electric car salesman.... which was not my intention.

I just did some reading on electric and the subsequent test drive because electric cars seem to be very interesting as company cars for my business. With government grants, no road taxes and almost zero maintenance the price tag is very appealing. And again, the driving exprerience was super. I do believe for day to day use electrification can be a good step and improve the living environment as I can also see in the city where my office is located and where public transport is now electric. When I compare that to when I was young riding my little bike behind those diesel buses, I think a lot has improved!

But anyways… racing. Yes, that is an issue. On the one hand my purist heart would also say to completely disconnect F1 from 'reality' and make it an outrageously fast and loud competition for the enthusiasts. But my ratio says this won’t survive very long and would lose the younger generation in a blink. It needs to be high tech and state of the art to attract enough people to survive.

Reality is we will never go back to the V8’s, V10’s and 12 cylinder engines of the past. I think the hybrids will stay for another 5 to 10 years until electric technology has evolved far enough to reach F1 speeds and then FE and F1 will merge. Is that an attractive prospect? Don't know to be honest but I can’t see it happening any other way right now. But maybe I’m wrong…

[chrisb]

there is something astonishingly beautiful about the Alfa V6 music - it really does sing, I had a Merc V6 petrol and that was pretty good but the Alfa, words are superfluous


Electric cars are going to takeover, I would also look at electric cars in the future, one brighter thing for me though was Sir David advocating more motorbike use - apparently we emit very low wastage - crack on- just a wee bit warmer please 

racing, I cannot get enthused about the hybrids, try as I might, I just can't but put a Historic car on and I am happy and that I sense is the future for 'petrol-heads' equally I can't get used to Formula E, it just sounds dreadful - like a lot of demented childhood daleks - but as you say Rene that is the likely future