F1 lagging on 2021 engine rules

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has warned that Formula 1 is falling behind schedule as it continues to firm up its 2021 engine regulations.

The plans of the FIA and Liberty to introduce a simplified power unit without an MGU-H – outlined last October – were dealt a blow when the four existing manufacturers decided recently they would rather stick with the current hardware with small changes. They cited cost reasons and the fact that no new entrants have come forward for 2021. The new rules were discussed further via a video conference last week, involving manufacturers, the FIA and F1.

“The clock is ticking if we want to have a completely different engine for 2021,” Abiteboul told Autosport. “The summer break this year would be the red line. It’s no secret that two of the main drivers for that change of regulation were the possibility of a new entrant and the situation at

Red Bull. Red Bull and Toro Rosso were massively driving the change because it was clear to them that, independently from our situation, they had to think about their own situation. So now that Red Bull has found a new partner in Honda and there do not seem to be new entrants, the necessity of radical change to the engine regulation has lowered.”

Teams were previously promised new engine rules would be firmed up by the end of June.

Abiteboul (above) said all four manufacturers were aligned in their views. “We are talking about details right now, but I think in general we agree on the target, we agree it is better to keep the existing platform and that we can make a better job with it,” he said. “We still accept that we need to improve the power unit for other reasons, mainly for the show, for the customer teams, for the manufacturers in terms of cost also.”