Renault ran a V6 camless engine in F1 many years back. Since then they ran it on some road/concept car too. However, the speculation seems to suggest that the current F1 cars still run camshafts. However, it's all very tight lipped. The pneumatic actuation is a replacement for mechanical valve springs only. The easiest way to go about varying engine braking via selector would seem like ECU mapping only. Decel cut-off is easier to vary.
However, I was reading around, and it seems that we are taking engine braking in the literal sense, and that it's application in F1 maybe slightly different. It seems, that with the loss of traction control systems in 2008, out went Engine Braking System also. The car pictured here is a 2005/6 car. What the EBS does is monitor wheel lock up under braking and minimises it in conjunction with the traction control system. Though I don't think it varies braking torque on the wheels, it could vary the torque going to the wheels, indirectly varying the amount of engine braking. Some even seem to suggest a pulsating electronic actuation of the clutch so as to minimise wheel lock up. |