Honestly, I have never understood the charm of engine noise, but I guess I’m in the minority.
I guess it is part of the experience. When you are at a Formula E GP, the atmosphere is completely different.
For me, the sound is very important because you can also feel it, it makes vibrations, etc… and you will also remember that experience.
When you are at a Formula E GP, the atmosphere is completely different.
But at least on FE TV broadcasts you can also hear the tires screeching when breaking and turning into curves which IMO contributes to feeling closer to what’s going on.
yeah. i saw jet cars over a decade ago and even the top fuel and funny cars dont hold a candle to standing in literal jetwash. good thing the track cared about spectator safety or i couldve been injured and my dumb ass never even thought about it. im going to the fe race tomorrow. anything i should know in general.
I was at one F1 quali two years ago I think, and the noise was terrible and annoying.
I’d have enjoyed it much more if it had been quieter
No videos will replicate the feeling and emotion of the sound of a roaring V8+ engine. It’s like the difference between watching Glastonbury and being there.
To me, the when a race car produces so much sound, it give you the feeling/impression that the engine is working at the absolute raw mechanical limit. You also feel the noise physically through your body.
It’s a visceral experience - an assult on your senses.
Here are some video that might give you an idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpmocE57-5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpgv1iN9HR8
There’s also this video, albeit not an F1 car. Demonstrates what you’re talking about, as best a video can in my opinion.
As some who has only watched during the hybrid era, I don’t know what I’m missing.
Thanks for that - insightful.
Watch the qualifying of Montoya at the French GP in 2002.
Thanks for the rec - will check it out
I’ve done both, I preferred the hybrid - the V8 were too loud so I had to wear ear defenders most of the race.
I don’t miss the noise in F1, but it was definitely odd being at a race weekend where you could hear the 2-seater demonstration car from a mile away, but the F1 sessions were quieter than some of the support series.
We need to stop burning fossil fuels to have a planet to race on, but if we can generate a huge amount of energy in a clean way, then I don’t mind using some of that energy to make a big loud show.
I went to my first IRL GP in Monaco this year, and the F1s were definitely the “quietest” of the lot. Still painful after a while, but not as much as the other series.
The Porsche Cup cars are obnoxiously loud. The F2 car engines sound dull but downshifts sound like gun shots.
I think if you want ear splitting sound levels and variety, go see a GT3 race.
I remember arriving to a testing session at Silverstone (back when it was free, and they still did in-season testing) and parking up in the car park. I opened my car door and was immediately hit with the noise of the V10 engines, it was immense even out in the car park. I’ve been to quite a few F1 events since and it’s just not the same. I can understand why people want that sensation back.
I don’t see this making much difference, they are just dropping the MGU-H which has been talked about over and over again. There is no mention of higher rev limits or fuel limits, so it is still the same 1.6L 6 Cylinder Turbo?
Noise was pure poetry by pistons in the olden days. But I have to admit, the sound has not been an issue anymore for me. As long as they fix the TV directing I’ll be fine.
