FIA Bans Engine Development for 10 Years

Chardee MacDennis

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/motorsport/fia-ratifies-ten-year-f1-engine-freeze/#more-4322 wrote:

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council on Friday ratified an immediate ten-year freeze on formula one engine development. Between next year and 2017, each team may only use a 2007-spec engine design that is to be “delivered (to the FIA) no later than 31 March 2008″, a statement announced.

At the third annual Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco this week, FIA president Max Mosley explained the decision to freeze engines in formula one. “There is no need to develop an F1 engine any further. The engine runs at 19,000 rpm which is far faster than any comparable engine. It sounds good, it’s reliable and amazingly the six partially frozen engines of the current manufacturers are really evenly matched,” the Briton said in his keynote speech.

The FIA on Friday also announced that teams may only use one wind tunnel in 2008 and beyond, and banned 24 hour use of such facilities. The number of team personnel at races is also to be capped. (GMM)

Very odd decision, so the championship is gonna be between the same 3/4 team for the next 10 years?

stupid decision imho, also limiting how many hours any team can use a wind tunnel?!?

i dont understand it at all...

Grim.

imo f1 has been going down hill fast over the last 7 or 8 years ive gotten so piss*d off at its pointless rules i dont really watch it anymore :mad:

to many rules spoil the sport

Random

Bring it back to those days in Spa where 90% of the cars crashed out on the first corner.

To many rules & regulations ruining a once great sport.

< / rant >

Grim.

yep totally agree

Oblomov

A couple of reasons, to stop the engine manufacturers throwing bundles of money into research of exotic metals to achieved a more powerful engine unit.

Stabilise the engine development programs. Stop the evolution of units,

Enable the smaller teams to 'participate'

The constant chase for more power will be restricted to single engine design.

The supposed reduction in engine size has been counter productive, development has exceeded the theoretical limits, the boffins have found different materials, designs and engine management systems to increase power.

A return to Driver skills and not just pure BHP.

Grim.

Oblomov wrote: »

Enable the smaller teams to 'participate'

just not gona happen tbh

and imo thats what A1 was introduced for

stever

The teams should be given the freedom to develop their cars. Formula one is about constructors as well as drivers and this is just the next step by the FIA to make formula one a single chasis series.

These rules aren't going to reduce the costs because the money is just going to be spent elsewhere. If the FIA want to reduce costs why don't they just introduce a budget cap and give the teams the freedom to design the cars with some broad design criterion.

When they are making rules they should look at the history of F1 and try not to destroy the fabric of the sport and the qualities which made it successful in the first place. I want to see radical designs as were appearing in the 60's and 70's. Unfortunately everytime something different comes along, the FIA bans it so the engineers must now design everything inside a very small window set by the rules.

oneofakind32

In a time where engine development is high on car manufacturers agenda due to an impending oil crisis this an incredibly bad idea, I guess we'll never see a wankle in F1

Endurance Man

This makes no sense to me, surely this is going to hinder the lower ranked teams? They submit their engine next year and then have to use that engine for ten years, how are they ever going to move up the ranks?

Edwardius

oneofakind32 wrote: »

In a time where engine development is high on car manufacturers agenda due to an impending oil crisis this an incredibly bad idea, I guess we'll never see a wankle in F1

Well there is going to be something about recovery of energy lost in braking etc so it's not all bad in the hippy department. I think this spurred a lot of research into using rapidly rotating flywheels as a means of energy storage. Dunno about a wankel (apparently they drink oil and the engines wear fast, love the idea of a rotating rather than a reciprocating engine though) but a mini gas turbine would be cool http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS170285+11-Dec-2007+BW20071211 and please environmentalists everywhere.

thegoth

I agree that F1 is about constructors, but costs need to be kept under control. The reason is simple. The FIA know that they way things are going, in a few years only manufacturers will be left in F1 as smaller private teams that MUST turn a profit will not be able to compete. The last thing the FIA want is a grid made up entirley of Ferrari, Merc, BMW, Toyota, Renault as if the constructors got pissed off, they would just say screw you and either set up a rival series, or pull out of F1. The once mightly Williams struggled with Finance for the last few years. Jordan are gone, as are Sauber, Midland, Minardi, Prost, Beneton, Stewart, Jag,

Its this simple. If costs are not kept under control then we loose the private teams. Williams and others cannot spend 400 million a year and turn a profit. Its impossible. All F1 is to the manufacturers is an advertising campaign and Tax write off

triple h

thegoth wrote: »

I agree that F1 is about constructors, but costs need to be kept under control. The reason is simple. The FIA know that they way things are going, in a few years only manufacturers will be left in F1 as smaller private teams that MUST turn a profit will not be able to compete. The last thing the FIA want is a grid made up entirley of Ferrari, Merc, BMW, Toyota, Renault as if the constructors got pissed off, they would just say screw you and either set up a rival series, or pull out of F1. The once mightly Williams struggled with Finance for the last few years. Jordan are gone, as are Sauber, Midland, Minardi, Prost, Beneton, Stewart, Jag,

Its this simple. If costs are not kept under control then we loose the private teams. Williams and others cannot spend 400 million a year and turn a profit. Its impossible. All F1 is to the manufacturers is an advertising campaign and Tax write off

That is it said, i agree 100%. Can't say anymore.

However,
some of the posters above have good points, the best point is the way the FIA are mucking about with rules. Right or wrong ( it does not matter at this stage), mucking around with rules, regulations, court hearing, putting a fine on some teams and not others and so on ......, this all looks very messy and the people that have a slight interest are turned off F! and the people who love F1 ( me) are considering on not watching F1 anymore.


Just off the subject --- I still think Ron Dennis should pack his bags and Mclarens bags too and head off to the IRL. I love the IRL and the thought of not watching the IRL ( indycar, i still call it IRL) anymore has not even crossed my mind.