Renault has unveiled the 1.6 litre V6 Turbo engine that will be used by Red Bull, Lotus, Toro Rosso and Caterham in 2014.

In 2014, Formula One enters a new era when, after three years of planning and development, the most significant technical change to hit the sport in more than two decades is introduced.

Engine regulations form the major part of the coming revolution, with the introduction of a new generation of power units that combine a 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engine with energy recovery systems that will dramatically increase efficiency by harvesting energy dissipated as heat in the exhaust or brakes.

The maximum power of the new power unit will exceed the output of current V8 F1 engines however fuel efficiency will be radically improved. With only 100kg permitted for the race, the new units will use 35% less fuel than their predecessors.

"From 2014 we will bring engines to the fore and redress the balance in F1. An engine is the heart of a car, from next year it returns to the heart of our sport," said Alain Prost, Renault ambassador and four-times Formula One World Champion.

For several years, Renault has used its racing know-how to develop fuel efficient engines for its road cars, notably its Energy range. The objectives were clear: maintain or improve driving pleasure, vitality and acceleration with downsized engines to achieve lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Renault has employed these principles in developing the F1 power unit, creating a complete, and genuine, circular development process between road and track. For these reasons, Renault has named the F1 Power Unit series 'Energy F1'; clearly illustrating that the F1 Power Unit shares the same DNA as its road-going cousins.

"From next year, one of the greatest challenges in F1 will be to maximize energy efficiency and fuel economy while maintaining the power output and performance expected of F1 cars," said Jean-Michel Jalinier, President of Renault Sport F1. "Renault has pioneered this technology in its road car engine range with the Energy series. Naming the Power Unit Energy F1 creates an unbroken range, from the Clio through to our competition department."

As for fears about the sound of the new generation of engines, Rob White, Deputy Managing Director (technical), said: ''The sound of the engine is the sum of three principal components, exhaust, intake and mechanical noise. On fired engines, exhaust noise dominates, but the other two sources are not trivial and would be loud if the exhaust noise was suppressed and contribute to the perceived sound of the engines in the car.

''All three sources are still present on the V6. At the outset, there is more energy in each combustion event but there are fewer cylinders turning at lower speed and both intake and exhaust noise are attenuated by the turbo. Overall, the sound pressure level (so the perceived volume) is lower and the nature of the sound reflects the new architecture.