F1 sound controversy continues as Sebastian Vettel ridicules the new V6 engine

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel

Four-time world champion and Laureus Sportsman of the Year Sebastian Vettel has voiced his discontent regarding the V6 turbo engines introduced in F1 this year which make significantly less noise than the previous engines.

The V6 engine has elicited a sharp reaction from the Red Bull driver, who compared the volume on the track with that usually observed in a bar, asserting that the fans were missing out.

“It is s****. I was on the pit-wall during the race, and it is (quieter) than in a bar! I think for the fans it is not good,” said the German at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Thursday. “I think F1 has to be spectacular and the sound is one of the most important things.”

Having dominated the tracks for the past four years with the V8 models, Melbourne marked the end of Vettel’s nine consecutive victories after he was forced to retire with a reliability issue in the season opener.

Vettel also recalled his first racing venture in Germany at the age of six and how the noise of the old Formula One engines still echoes in his ears.

“We went to see the cars live in free practice in Germany, and the one thing I remember was the sound,” he said. “I remember how loud the cars were and to feel the cars through the ground as it was vibrating. It is a shame we don’t have that any more.”

Here is a fan-made video that compares the sound produced by engines at the Australian Grand Prix in the years 2013 and 2014. The difference, as can be seen immediately, is dramatic.

http://youtu.be/jS4Dh_EAfJI

Vettel’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardio, however, is not on the same page with regard to the noise. When asked about it the Australian replied, “Once you’re at full speed you still don’t hear what’s going on. There’s still enough noise inside our helmets to block out the rest. I think it’s alright. It’s different, something else to get used to. I’ll probably have good hearing for a bit longer so I’m not really complaining.”

The man from Down Under finished second in front of his home-town, but that was followed by a disqualification. His rival who took advantage of that situation has a strong opinion on the issue too, but on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. McLaren driver Jenson Button feels that anyone who is bothered by the sound of the new engines should leave F1 .

“Go and race something else if you’re not happy,” the 2009 World Champion said. “As drivers, we don’t have an opinion where the cars are in terms of sound and feel. When you cross the finish line first, you’ve won a Grand Prix, you don’t care what it sounds like and what it looks like. You’ve beaten the best in the world and that’s what you care about.”

But Button’s former team-mate Lewis Hamilton concurred with Vettel’s dissatisfaction, mentioning how a part of the magic surrounding the glamour sport had disappeared with the decrease in noise.

“It’s okay, it’s not special how it used to be but it’s a lot of power and special in other ways,” said the 29-year-old.

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