[KnifeEdge_2K1]

Originally Posted by 2ndclasscitizen

I have a question about the valvetrains on F1 engines. I was watching the 5th Gear video with the F1 v Superbike v Racing Boat and they said that they have pneumatic valves as springs can't move fast enough. Now, my question is, do they still run camshafts? Or do they run a system like the Lotus is developing with no cams and the valves being actuated by a computer controlled hydraulic system? I just remember reading about Lotus' system a year or two ago and all they had was a one cylinder engine running it.

id assume the system is completely hydraulic, leaving the camshafts there would be a redundancy and direct actuation of the valves would lower weight and complexity

the only reason to keep the camshafts would be because of a regulation or rule somewhere which states camshafts must exist