NEW ENGINE RULES ARE CRITICISED
Ferrari threatens to quitf1i fit’ sun happy with final 2021 regulations
Formula 1’s three main engine manufacturers have all criticised the proposed new engine rules for 2021, with Ferrari again threatening to pull out of the series.
Details of the planned new regulations were revealed last week and they feature a number of changes. Although the current 1.6-litre turbo hybrid motors will be kept, they will run at 3000rpm higher to “improve the sound”. The engines will also be simplified with the MGU-H being removed and instead there will be greater focus on a more powerful MGU-K.
There will be also be an increase in standardised parts, including a mandatory energy store.
The rules will now be discussed further in a series of meetings over the coming year before they are finalised. But they have drawn an angry reaction from manufacturers, especially from Ferrari. President Sergio Marchionne has said that if Ferrari is unhappy with the final version of the rules it will walk away from F1 after 2020. “Liberty has got a couple of good intentions in all of this, one of which is to reduce the cost of execution for the team, which I think is good,” said Marchionne. “[But] there are a couple of things we don’t necessarily agree with. “One is the fact that somehow powertrain uniqueness is not going to be one of the drivers of distinctiveness of the participants’ line-up. I would not countenance this going forward.” Marchionne even said that quitting F1 could be a good thing for Ferrari. “It would be totally beneficial to the P&L [profits and losses],” he said. “We would be celebrating here until the cows come home.
“What I do know is that it [F1] has been part of our DNA since the day we were born. It’s not as though we can define ourselves differently. But if we change the sandbox to the point where it becomes an unrecognisable sandbox, I don’t want to play any more.”
Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul said the rules risk starting an unnecessary arms race between manufacturers.
“Despite maybe what FOM and FIA would say – what is put forward is a new engine,” Abiteboul said. “We need to be extremely careful because each time we come up with a new regulation that will come up with a new product; we all know the impact. It’s going to open an arms race again, and it will open up the field.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added: “We are not learning from our past historic experiences. It should be about optimising the deficits we have with the current engines.
“If you tackle those deficits and have a convergence over the next 24 months there’s not a lot wrong. The costs have been spent.”
But Aston Martin, which is considering building an engine for the new rules, has welcomed the proposals.
“We are encouraged by the directions being taken and continue to study a potential Aston Martin solution for 2021,” said CEO Andy Palmer. “The key will be how development costs are controlled to make participation by independent engine suppliers a viable possibility.”
However, Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe believes that F1 is focusing on the wrong areas by looking at the engines.
“When you look at F1, although there’s a lot of discussion about problems with engines, it’s not really the biggest problem in the sport,” said Lowe. “The biggest problem at the moment is the huge disparity to the remainder of the teams. It’s not around engine choice.”