Mercedes Engine Boss Andy Cowell Rejects Ecclestone’s Hybrid Claims

Mercedes has rejected claims by F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone that the current turbo hybrid engines "have no relevance to road cars," according to Andrew Benson of the BBC. Ecclestone, 84, has "long opposed the engines because they are quieter and more expensive than the previous V8s." He told F1 Racing magazine that the engines "have nothing to do with cars; they will never be used in cars."

But Mercedes F1 engine boss Andy Cowell said that road cars would soon be using "exactly the same" technology. Two separate hybrid technologies are being used in the F1 engines, which were introduced last season. One "recovers energy from the rear axle during braking, stores it in a battery and reapplies it under acceleration."

This is "exactly how current hybrid road cars work." The second — and new — technology "recovers energy from the turbocharger shaft." It can be "applied directly to the rear wheels to boost acceleration, and it can be used to prepare the turbocharger system so it is ready to be used as soon as the driver presses the accelerator." Cowell said that this system would "definitely" start appearing on road cars. BBC