Home » Formula 1 » F1 season 2021: What are the changes in the F1 engine specs next year?

The F1 2021 season is set to be an exciting one but the engine specs could be a little different from what was expected

Mercedes dominated another F1 season as they won all the titles. Lewis Hamilton continued his domination of F1 in 2020 and racked up his seventh world title, matching that of the legendary Michael Schumacher.

There was the rise of teams such as Renault and McLaren that picked up podium finishes while many first-time winners also got a lot to celebrate.

Lewis Hamilton will miss the second Bahrain Grand Prix due to a positive Covid-19 test result
Winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on November 29, 2020 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Hamad Mohammed – Pool/Getty Images)

However, for all the good, there was the bad too. Covid-19 impacted the season greatly and several races were cancelled early on.

Things improved in the second half of 2020 with many races being shoehorned and that has also impacted plans for 2021.

Major changes expected in 2021 F1 season

F1 had planned some revolutionary changes in 2021 with some great looking cars and a change in the engine.

The 2021 season was to have the same 1.6litre V6 engine but it would run at a higher RPM. The engine specs would now allow for a larger sound, something that many F1 fans had been missing from the V8 days.

Carlos Sainz pre-season times
Carlos Sainz racked up over 100 laps in pre-season testing on day 1 (Getty)

However, the change in these engine specs for the 2021 F1 season would come at a huge cost. Teams were already struggling in 2020 thanks to the lack of fans in several races.

Even the MGH-H was to be removed from the 2021 engines with a more powerful MGH-K unit which would allow drivers to decide where the power would be used and deployed.

While this was to be brought up for the 2021 season, a decision was taken to delay it till the 2022 season.

Covid-19 hampered F1 last time around and keeping things same will be important in keeping costs in check.

Red Bull 2020 livery
The Red Bull’s livery hasn’t changed much over the years (AFP)

However, there could be some special dispensation for teams such as McLaren and other changing their F1 engine suppliers.

McLaren were powered by Renault engines in 2020 but have re-signed with Mercedes with the Silver Arrows having the most powerful engines in the sport.

Red Bull also have to decide who their engine suppliers will be in 2021 after Honda pulled out of the sport.

The engine specs are going to remain the same between 2020 and 2021 but things should change when the 2022 season comes.

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