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Bernie Ecclestone: I want V8s back for 2016

Published on 20 Oct 2015 10:53
3
By: Harry Shovelar

Bernie Ecclestone has told The Independent Newspaper that he would want the V8 engines compiled with a KERs package to be made available from 2016.

Due to Mercedes and Ferrari's stronghold that they have on the Formula One's Grid order, F1's Ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone feels that something needs to be done to make the sport a fairer championship - as this weekend will more than likely see Lewis Hamilton grab his 3rd World Championship with 4 races to spare. To level things out, this can be down by dropping the V6 Power Units for the V8s.

The V8 Engines will not only level the playing field, but it will also increase the noise that has been a major critique of the V6. The Independent asked Ecclestone what if the teams don't agree with the change? The Briton gave little remorse, as he felt if the teams do not like it, then they will just have to deal with it.

“I don’t think we should get consent from the teams. I think we should just do it and say to them, ‘If you don’t like it you can go to arbitration’. We could get the V8s back next year. People can build them in no time so we ought to do it.”

Ecclestone also continued his stance that the Engine Manufacturers have too much control of the sport. And what does not help the situation is that there is not any independent supplier such as a Cosworth to help with new teams or even existing ones who do not have Power Unit or are unhappy with their current supplier, IE: Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

“If Ferrari only agreed to supply one customer engine, Mercedes only agreed to supply one, nobody would have any engines. That’s exactly what the situation is. We need an independent engine supplier. I’ve been on about this now for a year and a half"

Written by Harry Shovelar

F1 News Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes

Replies (3)

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
He's out on a bike ride on this. If they do replace the V6 TT hybrid in favour of V8s, both Mercedes and Honda will leave, as neither want to remain in F1 if V8s return. And it'll deter tech-oriented brands like Audi or Porsche from making an entry. Furthermore, teams and suppliers cannot just build them and get a good result: the teams need to know in good time to build a decent engine and build a good car around it. Now its too late for 2016, and might even be too late for a V8 in 2017. Mercedes, and now Ferrari, has shown that this formula can be done nicely enough, and they're not exactly likely to become any worse. Its a bit too early to switch back.
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- Oct 20 2015 - 14:22
f1dave

Posts: 782
This can't be from Bernie. It actually makes sense (except for the part about retaining KERS )
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- Oct 20 2015 - 18:57
V10_back

Posts: 2
V8 engines have to come back. It would solve all problems. Costs, sound, lack of power and the biggest problem - dominance. Now it is unfair. It is not interesting anymore to watch f1. We were in Austria so that was a tragedy. If I ever come back it would be abaout GP2 or new engines in F1.
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- Oct 21 2015 - 09:14