F1 scraps plan for standard gearboxes in 2021

The FIA has confirmed that it will not appoint a sole supplier for Formula 1 gearboxes for the 2021 season.

As part of the rule changes that are set to be enforced in just under two years, the FIA opened a tender for standardised gearboxes for the sport in February earlier this year.

However, it has since been announced that the plan will not go ahead following "detailed analysis" by the FIA Technical Department.

"The Council's decision was based on consideration of both technical and financial information made available by teams and suppliers," wrote the FIA. 

"The technical data provided revealed that gearbox technology in Formula 1 has largely converged and that, as a result, there is little performance differentiation at present.

"It was also noted that, due to the complexity of the components, gearboxes remain a sensitive matter in terms of reliability, and this was factored into the evaluations of the FIA Technical Department."

With both the technical and sporting regulations set to be overhauled for 2021, one major piece that the sport wants to control is the costs. 

The FIA also found through relevant data that it could save costs in other ways than simply imposing a single supplier for F1 gearboxes.

"Regarding the financial implications of the tender process, detailed financial data was requested from F1 competitors and a number of teams operating different business models supplied the FIA with relevant information.

"Analysis of this revealed that similar financial savings could be made by means other than the specification of a single supplier.

"These methods are being discussed with the Formula 1 teams and will be included in the regulatory package to be presented by the end of June."