F1 Powerboat racing in future

What does the future promise for F1 Powerboat racing? In terms of safety, there is always room for improvement as Nicolo di San Germano and the U.I.M. work closely to find those improvements. In 2003 the HANS (Head and Neck Safety) device was introduced to the sport to protect the driver from serious injury in the case of an accident. “Safety is one of my key priorities,” explained di San Germano. “F1 Powerboat safety officers work closely with the U.I.M. to make the sport safer. Since the 1980s we have adopted many measures to improve safety, including: safer cockpits with flexible and shock-absorbing ‘pickle fork’ construction; air-bag crash protection systems; and the HANS (Head and Neck Safety) device.”

Introducing 4 stroke inboard engines
The current power plant in F1 is a remarkable piece of engineering when you consider what is has to endure throughout a Grand Prix. It sits silently on the start grid until the red lights are switched off. The start button is pressed and within a fraction of a second it’s spinning at 9600rpm and pumping out 400hp. Over 50 laps its throttle remains on full power for much of the time even when turning up to 5 or 6 corners on each lap. Talks are currently underway with motor racing engine makers with a view to introduce 4 stroke inboard engines into F1 but many problems have to be overcome before we see a Porsche or BMW engine on the start line.

Source: f1boat.com