zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Here's How Hybrid Technology in Formula One Has Evolved Since 2007
Here's How Hybrid Technology in Formula One Has Evolved Since 2007-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:08

Formula One has spent the last ten years pushing the boundaries of hybrid technology to make their cars faster and more efficient. Sure, we know that tech has pretty rapidly evolved—but what does that actually look like?

You can count on the Mercedes F1 team to show you how it’s done. In the team’s new video, Andy Cowell, the Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, gives a rundown of how things have grown this past decade. You can check out the full four-ish minute video below:

If you aren’t able to watch the video, Cowell takes the time to go over the initial hybrid system and KER (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) as a way to illustrate how more research and development rapidly altered the ability to store and use energy.

Back in 2007, for example, the system weighed 107kg and only clocked in at 39 percent efficiency—so, you were still getting a boost with the hybrid tech, but not a huge one. Two years later, in 2009, you jumped right to 25.3kg and 70 percent efficiency. That is huge.

Currently, the hybrid system weight 20kg (which is as low as F1 regulations will allow) with 96 percent efficiency. That’s pretty damn impressive.

While F1 can feel pretty far removed from the everyday life of us common folk, Cowell highlights the fact that the hybrid tech used in F1 is just a more advanced version of the same stuff used in our hybrid road cars. F1 is pushing the envelope so we can run our cars further on a single tank of gas by harvesting all the spare energy it releases.

Pretty neat, right?

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Here's Why There's 4,000 Pounds Of Manure Stacked On This Racecar
Here's Why There's 4,000 Pounds Of Manure Stacked On This Racecar
Almost 20 years ago, an ingenious racing team bought thousands of pounds of top soil and manure to calibrate the downforce of its race car. Last week, a tweet featuring a photo of a champ car with dozens of bags of manure stacked on top went viral on Twitter....
May 22, 2026
Formula One In Talks With Saudi Arabia To Host A Race As Early As 2021
Formula One In Talks With Saudi Arabia To Host A Race As Early As 2021
It looks like might potentially have a new Grand Prix venue sometime soon. has been added to the lineup of prospective countries keen to host a race as early as 2021—and teams have already been asked for their opinion on the matter. I can’t say that it’s a totally...
May 22, 2026
Here's How Hybrid Technology in Formula One Has Evolved Since 2007
Here's How Hybrid Technology in Formula One Has Evolved Since 2007
Formula One has spent the last ten years pushing the boundaries of hybrid technology to make their cars faster and more efficient. Sure, we know that tech has pretty rapidly evolved—but what does that actually look like? You can count on the Mercedes F1 team to show you how it’s...
May 22, 2026
Do It, Lamborghini. Enter Le Mans In The Hypercar Class
Do It, Lamborghini. Enter Le Mans In The Hypercar Class
While plenty of manufacturers race in each year, not all of them go out of their way to design and produce a purpose-built racer for the series’ top class—the hypercar class in 2020/2021. has been one of those manufacturers. Except, it sounds like that might be changing. Lamborghini CEO—and...
May 22, 2026
The Ultimate Drift Corolla Is Still One Of The Best Rally Cars Around
The Ultimate Drift Corolla Is Still One Of The Best Rally Cars Around
It’s 8/6 day in the rest of the world, and I’m sure you (like me) are spending most of it watching old drift videos. But the most iconic drift car of a generation is still one of the best old rally cars you can run. I watched the other weekend...
May 22, 2026
The Best View Of Stadium Super Trucks Is Only For Fans With Strong Stomachs
The Best View Of Stadium Super Trucks Is Only For Fans With Strong Stomachs
Thanks to somebody’s clever camera placement, now we know what the view is like for some of the hardest-working suspension in motorsports. , which seems to be everybody’s favorite warm-up race series these days, basically features a bunch of pickup truck-looking vehicles bounding over huge jumps that are set up...
May 22, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved