So, Mercedes are testing a megaphone on their dominant WO5 Hybrid at Barcelona this week. It’s an interesting proposal, but is such an idea a feasible solution to the resentment surrounding the V6 cars’ engine noises? And do we really need louder Formula 1 cars? I’m not so convinced.
Team head Toto Wolff has already suggested that the test will be experimental more than anything. In general terms, the ‘Mercedes megaphones’ are essentially a funnel extension of the exhaust system that is designed to magnify the volume of the engine for the benefit of the fans.
The major issue that the F1 management is concerned about regarding the more sombre tone of this year’s cars is spectator interest. The theory suggests that the cars will drive people away from the sport, taking away the ‘raw power’ element of the V8 and V10 engines that F1 fans enjoyed getting excited about. But maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.
Attendance at the Australian season opener was 12,000 down on last year – not a disastrous figure considering it equaled 2006 attendance, and, judging by the growing excitement on social media, the British Grand Prix will be as popular as ever when it takes centre stage in July.
The point? Sound isn’t the most important thing. So long as the racing is competitive, people will still flock to Formula 1, even if the noises are a little odd. How many people settle down in front of the TV on race day to support their driver? If the sound is so important, why have Sky and BBC invested so much on buying the TV rights when they could just broadcast it on Radio 5 Live? F1 is the only form of motorsport in the mainstream media and it showcases the pinnacle of automotive technology, therefore, Mercedes’ plan to boost noises isn’t going to increase an already thriving F1 viewership, despite what the naysayers predict.
In order to be formally legalised by the FIA, the megaphone will have to gain approval from all members of the F1 grid. This isn’t going to be simple, as some teams seem to be happy with the new sound. Renault’s deputy director Rob White is one such advocate of the V6 package:
‘”I don’t sign up to the opinion that they sound horrible’ White said. ‘I feel there is a positive message that has kind of got drowned out.” (BBC Sport 12/5)
In addition, the megaphone idea doesn’t incite a lot of change to the Formula 1’s new audio. The main reason why fans have opposed the new engines is because of the difference in sound type compared to last year, rather than the raw volume. It seems obvious, but they’re not the same thing.
F1 viewers have become so accustomed to the howling screech of V10 s and V8s that obviously a change in approach by the FIA was going to be a shock to the system, especially for the hard-core fans that don’t follow any other forms of racing. A grid full of megaphones would make the cars sound louder, but not different. I doubt very much that adding trumpets to the end of 22 exhausts will make the ground shake any harder on race day, so in reality it won’t have a dramatic impact.
We’ll see how Mercedes’ little run tomorrow turns out. Either way, F1 still won’t need louder engines. After all, this year’s engines are only 11 decibels quieter than the 2013 machinery or, in simpler terms, the equivalent to the sound of someone breathing when stood side by side. The megaphone isn’t necessary, so for those concerned fans the 2014 noise won’t get louder. But, it will definitely grow on them as the year progresses. Honest.
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