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Lauda insists drivers will not be allowed a fifth engine

Published on 06 May 2015 09:48
3
By: Rob Veenstra

Drivers will not be allowed to use a fifth 'power unit' in 2015 and escape penalty, according to Niki Lauda. That is despite Red Bull team boss Christian Horner saying less than two weeks ago that the change to the 'four engines per season' rule had been agreed "unanimously" in March. "That was all the teams, including Bernie Ecclestone," he said, adding that the matter only had to be rubber-stamped through a formal fax vote.

But it seems Mercedes has changed its mind. "There will be no fifth engine," team chairman and F1 legend Lauda told the Austrian news agency APA. "You cannot change the regulations in the middle of a season," he insisted. The obvious conclusion is that, fearing the challenge posed by a resurgent Ferrari, Mercedes is exercising its right to veto the tweak so as to protect its advantage with the best and most reliable turbo V6 on the grid.

Former two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen was asked by Spanish reporters on Monday if he thinks the rules should be changed in order to spice up the sport in light of Mercedes' dominance. "That's a difficult question," the Finn is quoted by the sports daily Marca, "as I am an ambassador for Mercedes. If there are teams that are not so close to them, it is difficult but not impossible to catch them, as Ferrari is showing," Hakkinen added.

So for now, Mercedes is the master of the current 'four engines per season' formula -- and still with performance development 'tokens' up its sleeve. "Our plan (for Barcelona) is that we will use the same version (of the engine) as we did in the first four races," a team spokesman confirmed to Brazil's Globo. (GMM)

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Replies (3)

Wingleader

Posts: 3,207
To change the rules during a season wasn't that big of as problem when RBR ruled the grid.
Niki remember that? So your reply is totally humbug.
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- May 6 2015 - 10:06
McLarenMadMan

Posts: 6
Very true WINGLEADER! I was ok for them to change the rules for RBR, but when RBR ask for rule changes, it all turns sour, let the sport become competitive like the old days! Hope Ferrari can steal a good few wins and take the Constructors Cup away from Merc GP, they are the only team to have been working on the 1.6 V6 since 2010!
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- May 6 2015 - 11:58
khasmir

Posts: 893
Bullcrap, in the past rules have been changed many times during the season.
Would be very selfish for Mercedes not to agree on allowing a 5th engine.
Or maybe they are just soooo afraid of Ferrari... toktoktoktok chickens ;-)
I don't even think Ferrari has destroyed an engine yet this season, so they will have the same number of engines available, no advantage there.
If the rules need to be changed to make sure we see more racing action than that is exactly what needs to be done.

But is this really the official Mercedes decision or just Niki stirring up a hornets nest as he likes to do sometimes...
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- May 6 2015 - 18:48