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Mercedes describes 2018 engine rules as 'crazy'

Published on 16 Jan 2018 11:05
6
By: Rob Veenstra

Andy Cowell has described as "crazy" the new engine rules for 2018. Although Mercedes has dominated throughout the 'power unit' era, engine boss Cowell says he does not support the move from four to three engines per driver this year.

"It's crazy," he is quoted by Italy's Corriere dello Sport, "because the manufacturers will have to virtually redo many parts." He therefore hit out at the FIA's basic intention of the rules, which is to reduce costs. "We will build at least 80-100 engines and then test them on the bench and take the three or four that have the best reliability and power characteristics," said Cowell. "That's a huge cost that the manufacturers will not be able to recover."

Alain Prost, the advisor for Renault, agrees that there is no great need for the FIA to keep trying to reduce engine costs in the current era. "My (Prost GP) engine cost EUR 23 million in 2001 and we would have paid 25.5 million the following year if we had survived," he told France's Auto Plus. "Today we are at engine prices between 12 and 14 million. Each manufacturer has therefore brought down prices with significantly more complex engines," Prost added. (GMM)

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Replies (6)

Barron

Posts: 625
If Mercedes think it’s crazy, then it’s start raving bonkers!
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- Jan 16 2018 - 11:14
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
They are crazy. An imbecile could see how stupid it is to only allow three allocations, and seriously believe the racing wont become affected. *Inserts Age of Barbarian face and drums*
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- Jan 16 2018 - 12:04
kngrthr

Posts: 203
and there are 80 'spare' engines anyway.

why not let them use the best 20
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- Jan 16 2018 - 13:24
NSBiker

Posts: 18
Of course it's nuts .... look where it came from.
From the perspective of the FIA, it is not about a direct cost reduction, it is likely more about arrested development.
If the teams can not introduce engine upgrades more than twice in a season, without penalty, then it effectively slows down or stops in-season performance improvements and all of the research that goes along with it.
Ferrari has done a brilliant thing in signing up Sauber and Hass as teams that can afford to take penalties and act as test-beds for Power Unit Development.
Let the Games and Grid Penalties begin.
Yes, it is waaaay beyond crazy.
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- Jan 16 2018 - 19:47
- Pauli
  
  Posts: 140
  If there is other reason beside cost reduction attempt then it would be performance limiting. FIA has already long time added rules that artificially limit performance to keep F1 cars safer.
  
  I was expecting that 2021 engine rules would have reduced ICE volume to 1.4 litters and slightly reduced fuel limits. If they remove MGU-H that will reduce the power output too.
  
  If FIa would remove many performance restriction rules we probably would see 20% reduction to lap times. Too bad that wont be safe in any current track.
  + 0
  
  Jan 16 2018 - 22:30
boudy

Posts: 1,168
So the are building 100 engines and out of those they select 20. I thought that f1 was all about precision, how can they tell the difference between the engines? If the build process is the same for all. Surely they should be comparable? Does any know if this is really what would happen?
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- Jan 16 2018 - 23:37