While the BMW V8 engine has retained the same homologated basic form since the end of 2006, with further development only permitted in peripheral areas, other components of the powertrain – which is developed entirely in Munich under the watchful eye of Markus Duesmann – have undergone fundamental modifications. From 2008 each Formula One car’s gearbox has to last four consecutive race weekends. With the exception of a few minor subcomponents the gearbox now has to remain untouched for some 2,500 kilometres. Combined with restrictions regarding the dimension of the gear ratio pairs, this new demand meant the gearbox had to be completely redesigned. The new quick shift gearbox (QSG) BMW G1.08 totally eliminates a break in tractive power. The ingenious interplay of electronic and mechanical components is the key. One of the main tasks here was to marry these complex requirements with the new standard ECU stipulated for use by all teams from 2008. Converting torque and engine revs is just one of the transmission’s jobs. It also has to pass on the forces generated in the suspension to the chassis via the engine. All the teams on the grid have been supplied with a standard electronics unit – effectively a black box and operating instructions – and left to make the best they can of it. The most prominent casualty of the introduction are the electronic traction control systems, which precisely regulate engine power through corners and under acceleration in order to minimise slip and, therefore, optimise traction. This change required the investment of considerable capacity and resources in new car systems – e.g. in the steering wheel with all its control functions, in the retuning of the chassis, gearbox and engine to new sensors, and in the fundamentally different philosophy and logic of the SECU. Over recent years the FIA has imposed a raft of new and far-reaching regulations governing engine development. The sport’s governing body cited safety – i.e. lower top speeds – and cost savings as the reasons behind the changes. Among the implications of the new regulations has been a quadrupling of the service life required of the engines since 2002. At the end of 2006 all the teams had had to submit sample engines which would remain essentially unchanged initially up to the end of 2010. The only remaining development potential for the engineers lay in peripheral areas, such as the cooling, intake system and subcomponents.
