[BTCC] BTCC 2020 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I'm not sure who you are referring to as 'they'?

The Zetec name as an engine was superseded by the Duratec from around 2002 onwards.

As a trim level on Fords, it appears on the current models:
Tourneo Courier
Tourneo Custom
Tourneo Connect
Galaxy
S-Max
Mondeo
Kuga
Ecosport

As a company - Zetec is a global leader in nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions for the critical inspection needs of industries the world counts on every day including Power Generation, Oil and Gas, Aerospace, Automotive, Maritime, Military, Rail and Manufacturing.

The Zetec engine continued for a while in the form of the Zetec SE engine which were 1.6 and 1.8 capacity. These were then renamed Sigma and formed the basis of the 1.6 and then 1.5 EcoBoost engines. Now defunct as the 1.5 EcoBoost is now replaced by the 3 cylinder 1.5 Dragon Ecoboost which is half a 3.0 V6 Ecoboost.

[MagicBoy]

Just to be double confusing it was originally developed and launched as the Zeta engine, then Ford discovered Lancia had the trademark and hurriedly changed it to Zetec.

Then for inexplicable reasons it turned into a trim level as well as an engine family.

Anyway all thoroughly off topic for something that came from someone getting offended about being asked to clarify a question.

[porsche962fan]

back to our things, after this round AFAIK the parity review is up, so potentially more penalties for RWD cars

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

back to our things, after this round AFAIK the parity review is up, so potentially more penalties for RWD cars

Interesting - what leads you to believe a parity review is scheduled?
Is that boost, or CoG that is the subject of a parity review?

[porsche962fan]

because in the past a review was after every 3 rounds if I remember

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

because in the past a review was after every 3 rounds if I remember

In 2019, they carried out boost adjustments after R12 and R15, with CoG after R15.

The 3-event schedule was dropped a while ago IIRC

[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

In 2019, they carried out boost adjustments after R12 and R15, with CoG after R15.

The 3-event schedule was dropped a while ago IIRC

Boost is still looked at every 3 rounds. So any changes will be for Knockhill

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

Boost is still looked at every 3 rounds. So any changes will be for Knockhill

Is that still the case? They seemed to have a different schedule in 2019?

Looking back, the 2017 regulations said a boost review would be carried out after R9 and R18.
For 2018, this changed to being 'at any time'

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by RS67

What Ford Motorsport contract?

The WRC Motors.....

[RS67]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

The WRC Motors.....

As mentioned earlier, that wouldn't have been a Msport decision, but a Ford decision and the engine build contract didn't go to Msport for several years after.

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Is that still the case? They seemed to have a different schedule in 2019?

Looking back, the 2017 regulations said a boost review would be carried out after R9 and R18.
For 2018, this changed to being 'at any time'

Some cars have already had their boost altered at least once this year.

With MSport getting the TOCA engine contract, are we to assume the next TOCA engine will be Ford based?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

As mentioned earlier, that wouldn't have been a Msport decision, but a Ford decision and the engine build contract didn't go to Msport for several years after.

It was a M Sport decision. Ford had tasked Wilson with running the team and developing the car. I've been informed that it was Wilson who decided to move engine development from Mountune to Cosworth towards the end of 1999.

For the season 2000, Ford set M-Sport the goal of winning one of the titles, and the team was reinforced with the arrival of ex-Subaru teammate Carlos Sainz. The car received his first update: a new version was homologated, with a new turbo and engine modifications, which from the last races of 1999 was prepared by Cosworth.

To try and get this back on topic - why is this relevant to the BTCC? Maybe not 2020, but with Cosworth already having the contract to provide the hybrid system from 2022, is it then a surprise that the firm who moved the WRC engine to Cosworth all those years ago are now going to be their technical partner for supply of power units.

The world of motorsport is sometimes very small. The relationships formed 20+ years ago are still carrying influence today.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

It was a M Sport decision. Ford had tasked Wilson with running the team and developing the car. I've been informed that it was Wilson who decided to move engine development from Mountune to Cosworth towards the end of 1999.

For the season 2000, Ford set M-Sport the goal of winning one of the titles, and the team was reinforced with the arrival of ex-Subaru teammate Carlos Sainz. The car received his first update: a new version was homologated, with a new turbo and engine modifications, which from the last races of 1999 was prepared by Cosworth.

To try and get this back on topic - why is this relevant to the BTCC? Maybe not 2020, but with Cosworth already having the contract to provide the hybrid system from 2022, is it then a surprise that the firm who moved the WRC engine to Cosworth all those years ago are now going to be their technical partner for supply of power units.

The world of motorsport is sometimes very small. The relationships formed 20+ years ago are still carrying influence today.

Yet within Ford, the decision to change engine builder was a Ford descision.

Think you will find Cosworth engines and Cosworth electrical systems are two different companies. Cosworth was broken up and sold to different businesses years ago by Audi.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Some cars have already had their boost altered at least once this year.

With MSport getting the TOCA engine contract, are we to assume the next TOCA engine will be Ford based?

The photo of an engine that went out with the press release does look like a Ford EcoBoost engine.

[antnee]

Originally Posted by RS67

The photo of an engine that went out with the press release does look like a Ford EcoBoost engine.

I wonder if they will be buying up all of Ford's stock of the 'old' 2.0 engine? The new Focus ST uses the 2.3 block.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

Think you will find Cosworth engines and Cosworth electrical systems are two different companies. Cosworth was broken up and sold to different businesses years ago by Audi.

You're right that Cosworth was broken up by Audi, but it was not along the lines you state.

In 1998, the race engine division (Cosworth Racing), and its electronics division (Pi Research) were sold together as a singe entity that is still Cosworth today.
Audi retained the engineering, manufacturing and casting unit (Cosworth Technology), which was sold to Mahle in 2004 and renamed MAHLE Powertrain.

The race engine and electronics company (Cosworth) continued to supply engines and electronics for competition use. It is the same company that built/engineered the Focus WRC engines from late 1999 into the early 2000s, that is also the supplier of Hybrid systems to BTCC from 2022.

I think you'll find that a very quick check on Cosworth's own website will clearly show that Cosworth Group provide power-trains and electronics:

Thomas Buckler (Managing Director Electronics - Cosworth Group):'It’s why we are so proud of our partnership with TOCA to supply the hybrid system to this championship too, we’re looking forward to delivering a great system to TOCA whilst also learning and developing IP we can use in the future on road cars.'

Bruce Wood (Managing Director Powertrain - Cosworth Group):'Designing the 1996 IndyCar engine was a lifetime ambition realised, the decade heading up American racing was incredibly rewarding. 2003 was also a special moment, when we back-to-back tested our Indy engine and were so much faster than the established engine.[...] Cosworth is all about designing and making efficient machines – in fact, motor racing, where we started, is only about efficiency in many ways, whether it is power-to-weight ratio or specific fuel consumption. '

In terms of BTCC - the Cosworth company supplying the 2022 hybrid solution of today is the same Cosworth that supplied engines to the M-Sport WRC team, built the 2.0L engine used in the Tatuus MSV F3-016 in 2016, and is building the engine for the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by RS67

As mentioned earlier, that wouldn't have been a Msport decision, but a Ford decision and the engine build contract didn't go to Msport for several years after.

That is flat wrong , it was an MSport decision, they had total control of the WRC project after Boreham closed

[RS67]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

That is flat wrong , it was an MSport decision, they had total control of the WRC project after Boreham closed

You are missing a few years

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

You are missing a few years

Closed may be the wrong term - probably more correct to say that Boreham ceased to be involved with the WRC programme. The first signs that Ford were no longer involved with the running of the team came when they handed over operations to RAS for 1995. Then, as Ford Media described: 'in 1998, the WRC programme was transferred to M Sport in Cumbria, and Boreham turned their attention to creating a 'Ladder of opportunity' for potential stars of the future.'

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Closed may be the wrong term - probably more correct to say that Boreham ceased to be involved with the WRC programme. The first signs that Ford were no longer involved with the running of the team came when they handed over operations to RAS for 1995. Then, as Ford Media described: 'in 1998, the WRC programme was transferred to M Sport in Cumbria, and Boreham turned their attention to creating a 'Ladder of opportunity' for potential stars of the future.'

So Mountune were still the engine builder a year after the WRC project moved to Cumbria.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by RS67

So Mountune were still the engine builder a year after the WRC project moved to Cumbria.

Yes - that was mentioned a few posts ago:

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

In 1997 Ford selected M-Sport to run their WRC campaign.
In 1998 Ford selected M-Sport to design and build the Focus RS WRC.
When the Focus RS WRC was launched, Mountune were a long way along the development path, so continued as the engine builder/tuner for the 1999 season.
Then, during 1999, M-Sport took the engine tuning contract for the Ford Motorsport away from Mountune and gave it to Cosworth.
This eventually was then given to Pipo for the initial build, with M-Sport taking the rebuild in-house.

[AnnoyedMoose]

Good to see Bushell getting a run and he'll give some quality feedback as well. Be interesting to see the other drivers they have lined up.

http://www.btcc.net/2020/08/19/pmr-b...k-in-the-btcc/

[Overboost]

Beaten to it in the above post!

[S griffin]

Good to see Bushell given another go, him and PMR seem like a good mix after they both missed out at the start of the season

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by RS67

You are missing a few years

Dog with a bone?