One of the more interesting things to come out of the 92nd UIM General Assembly, which was held in Qingdao, China last week, was the official adoption of the 4-stroke Mercury Racing Competition V8 motor in the F1H2o rules.

As I suggested in an article earlier this month, the engine is based on Mercury’s V8 300 R model, will weigh 167 kg and will use the existing F1 mid section and gear box with an adaptor plate.

The justification for the introduction of the new Mercury power unit that was proposed by Fred Hauenstein, (UIM Senior Vice-President) was:

To put in place rules for the introduction of a new, “green” F-1 engine for the World Championship Series.

The existing 2.5 Mercury 2-stroke engine that has been used for many seasons stays in the rules and can be used under ‘ grandfathered engines’.

It will now be extremely interesting to see how many F1H2o teams make the switch for the 2020 season.

25 TECHNICAL RULES FOR MERCURY RACING COMPETITION V8 FOUR-STROKE ENGINES

1. Engine Hardware

1.1.The required four-stroke engine for Formula 1 is the Mercury Racing Competition V8.

1.2.All engine hardware must be stock, as delivered by Mercury Racing.

1.2.1. All hardware must be as per the official homologation document.

1.3.Modification and/or relocation of factory engine sensors is prohibited.

1.4.All engines will be equipped with tamper-proof seals at the Mercury Racing factory. If an anti-tamper seal
is removed during post-race engine inspection, a new seal must be applied by a UIM official and the log
book updated with the new seal serial number.

1.5.Specific components that will be sealed will be listed in the engine homologation.

1.6.Components provided with the engine but mounted within the boat (i.e. fuel supply module) cannot be modified.

1.7.No additional connections or ducting between the engine cowling and throttle is allowed.

1.8.The cowling must be as supplied by Mercury Racing.

The minimum weight of the boat, including residual fuel and oil, the driver with personal equipment, but excluding loose water is:

2.0 litres 486 kilogrammes
2.5 litres 550 kilogrammes
3.0 litres 586 kilogrammes
3.5 litres – 4 stroke 600 kilogrammes
4.6 litres – 4 stroke 600 kilogrammes (to be reviewed)