Lauda Concerned About 2013 F1 Engine Sound

Formula One is on its way to switching from the powerful and roaring V8 units to the downsized 4-cylinder turbocharged powerplants starting from 2013, a move that did not please all competitors in the series (to say the least). Ferrari have been the most vocal on the change, as building that kind of engines will not benefit them in any way in terms of their production car business.

Luca di Montezemolo expressed his disagreement with FIA's new engine policy in countless interviews recently, insisting that not only Ferrari will not be able to translate their F1 technology into road cars anymore, but the very essence of F1 will disappear slowly due to these “pathetic” new turbo units.

Now triple world champion Niki Lauda, someone who has been quite the Ferrari critic in recent months, has stepped in to back the Scuderia's view on the matter, raising a new question. How will Formula One “sound” like from 2013 onwards, when the V8s will no longer become part of the sport.

“I am worried about the sound, which in Formula One has been so unique,” argued the former Ferrari-an in a recent interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “Hopefully there will be more than a faint hum,” he added.

In recent days, Di Montezemolo publicly admitted that he will try to gain support for the idea of keeping the V8 era alive in the sport longer than until 2013, with Mercedes Benz being the first ones to hint at a similar approach. Recently, the German marque's motorsport director Norbert Haug told the media that Merc too would fancy a continuance of the V8 inside F1 rather than pumping money into a brand new engine. We'll remind you that Mercedes and Ferrari – in that order – have the most powerful V8 units in Formula One.