Audi to attend next F1 engine meeting

©SeanBullDesign

Volkswagen will be sending an Audi representative to an upcoming meeting hosted by the FIA to debate the future of the sport's engine regulations.

That is the claim of the German-language Spox.com, which says the meeting will take place in Paris on Friday to discuss what the next engine formula might look like beyond 2021.

Tasked with shaping the future of Formula 1, sporting director Ross Brawn is still in the process of defining overall concepts, among which figure the future architecture of tomorrow's F1 power unit.

FIA president Jean Todt has already ruled out a return to the more popular and louder V10s of the past. But the Frenchman is open to change.

"I realise this is a sensitive subject," he told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

"F1 is the flagship of the motor sport industry, and it must be in line with the technological developments of the industry."

"On the other hand it must be a balance to keep it sustainable. The machines today are too sophisticated." said Todt.

Todt: new F1 cars are too expensive and complicated

He also thinks the current cars are too expensive, although Red Bull chief Christian Horner thinks the emphasis of the next F1 engines should actually be the sound.

"The best sounding car in Melbourne was a 12-year-old Minardi that had the worst sounding engine then and was hopelessly uncompetitive," mocked Horner, referring to the old Minardi's demo laps last weekend in Australia.

Even Toto Wolff, boss of Mercedes who have dominated throughout the current 'power unit' era, does not disagree.

"If we look into a future generation of engines, I think in the past there wasn't enough emphasis on the sound.

"So if we can combine great, affordable technology with a lot of horse power and a good sound, that would be really ticking a box," he said.

Regardless of Audi's future intentions, as an exercise, team livery artist Sean Bull (https://twitter.com/seanbulldesign) penned a beautiful rendering of what a car from Ingolstadt could look like. Come on Audi, join the party!

©SeanBullDesign

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.