Energy flow of a 2018 FIA F1 racing car and proposed changes to the powertrain rules

In the last few years, the different teams have dramatically improved the directly injected, electrically assisted turbocharged, internal combustion engine of FIA F1 hybrid electric cars. With limited fuel flow rate, but unlimited boost, the engine is now delivering peak power at fuel conversion efficiencies about 45% running lean stratified with the help of some sort of jet ignition. The paper analyses the energy flow of a FIA F1 hybrid electric car covering one lap of the Monte Carlo race track of length 3.370 km. The amount of energy recovered is minimal, at the most 2 of the 9.77 MJ of braking energy, or 20.6%. The fuel consumption per lap, 1.16 kg of fuel, or 50.34 MJ of fuel energy, needed to deliver the 16.28-18.28 MJ of propulsive energy, at an outstanding average efficiency of 32 to 36%, may still be dramatically reduced. New rules are thus proposed to promote the development of technical features that could be beneficial to passenger car applications, from advanced turbo-compounding, to enhanced thermal and mechanical energy recovery, and better hybridization.