F1 teams pull back on new engine rules
The months of meetings and endless discussions that have gone into shaping new Formula 1 engine regulations for
2021 have led to an impasse.
That’s the scenario currently unfolding after the current manufacturers put a spanner in the works of the FIA and F1’s grand plans during the build-up to the British Grand Prix. They appeared to have gone along with plans for what Ross Brawn termed a “simpler, cheaper and noisier” power unit, and reluctantly accepted the loss of the MGU-H. A meeting of F1’s Strategy Group ahead of Silverstone was supposed to be one of the final exercises in box-ticking, prior to the final signingoff of the new rules.
Instead, during what in World Cup terms could be called the final minutes of injury time, the manufacturers jointly lobbed a free kick over the wall and into the back of the net. In effect, they are saying, ‘We’re not so sure we want to do this – can we keep what we have after all, but maybe with a few tweaks?’
The fast-tracked aero changes for next season showed that all parties can, more or less, work together for the greater good. But this is a much bigger test, and it’s not in anyone’s interest for the current divergence of views to be seen publicly as a conflict. But there’s no other way to describe the situation.
Back on October 31 last year, the FIA and F1 jointly announced a “road map” for the new power units, to be introduced in 2021, alongside new commercial arrangements, sporting regulations and a major package of new chassis rules.
Some wanted a return to noisy and simple V10s or V8s – Red Bull boss Christian Horner always made his feelings clear on this – but the reality was always destined to be based on the current hybrid technology and V6-turbo layout.
To keep a lid on development costs, the capacity would stay the same, but the MGU-H would go, with more emphasis placed on the MGU-K, while revs would be higher. Somewhat controversially, there was a push for standard parts, something to which Ferrari and Mercedes soon indicated opposition.
It was made clear that part of the rationale for change was to attract new manufacturers. Porsche was involved in
“WHY SPEND ALL THAT MONEY IF NO NEWCOMER IS ON THE HORIZON?”
the discussions, along with smaller engine suppliers such as Ilmor, throughout 2017. Porsche even indicated it would return to F1 if the rules went in the right direction.
The existing manufacturers indicated they were willing to go along with changes deemed to be good for F1 as a whole, in particular if it brought new makes in. But Porsche has made no decision on how or if it would progress, in part because the wider Volkswagen Group is embroiled in the ongoing automotive emissions scandal. It looks ever less likely that it could be ready for 2021.
Honda’s torrid experience has also probably sounded a few alarm bells for any manufacturers thinking about F1.
To be fair, Porsche has a headstart in that it has facilities and resources in place from its defunct World Endurance Championship project, as well as the extensive hybrid experience that provided, whereas Honda had to create an F1 facility as well as a power unit.
Having now had time to assess how much they must spend to adapt their existing technologies and stay competitive, the four current manufacturers have realised the costs are not insignificant, even if one of the aims of the FIA and F1 was to keep a lid on expense. Why spend all that money if no newcomer is on the horizon?
On top of that, Red Bull has now signed a works deal with Honda, so the impetus to find one of the championship’s biggest teams a potentially more competitive power unit, and increase the competition for Mercedes and Ferrari, has abated for now.
The bottom line now is that the manufacturers want to keep as much of the current technology as possible, rather than bin much of it after just seven seasons. Within that basic hardware package, they are willing to show some flexibility, on revs and fuel usage for example, to provide a better sound and some extra power, but Mercedes sees little point starting a new spending arms race in development if there is no fresh competition, while Renault argues that stabilising the current rules will be better for closing the field than requiring the engine builders to do fresh designs for 2021.
The key elements of this rules package were supposed to have been discussed, defined, agreed and published by now. Instead, the whole process is in limbo and talks continue heading into extra time. There is still time ahead of penalty kicks for the original intention of getting the full technical details issued at the end of 2018 done, even if that means meeting after meeting in the coming months, but the big question now is whether all concerned can see a bigger picture, and find agreement.