FIA and F1 teams reach agreement in Geneva
In the wake of the FIA's shocking proposal to move to standardized spec engines across the Formula One grid, the participating teams have met to come up with alternative cost-cutting measures to implement in the sport. After what was described as an unprecedentedly unanimous meeting of team principals under the newly formed Formula One Teams Association, Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo and Toyota's John Howett met with our favorite whipping post, Max Mosley, on neutral ground in Geneva to discuss alternatives.
Although the only official word following the meeting Tuesday in Geneva is that the discussions were constructive, reports indicate that considerable agreements were reached towards bringing down the costs of participation in Formula One without having to resort to spec engines. Among those measures reported include the life of each engine being expanded from the current two-race requirement to three and a requirement for each manufacturer to offer 25 engines for purchase by independent teams at 10 million euros per unit. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but the representatives are expected to meet again after the season's conclusion at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix to further discuss the arrangements, which are tipped to be stop-gap measures for the coming two seasons while the FIA comes up with more reasonable proposals for the long term.
[Source: Autosport]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John Johnson 8:44AM (10/24/2008)
10 million euros :O
If spec engines were ever brought in to play, there would be no more F1. Even everyone using the same ECU is a bit silly - I guess it's the only way to really regulate no traction/launch control.
I think it's kinda silly that they will also be forced to sell their technology - what's to stop McLaren/Ferrari from paying an independent team to buy one and give it to them? Technology sharing ftl.
F1 is about who can build the fastest and best track car. You want to make it cheap? Well, for one, ditch KERS. It is going to lead to accidents. I thought the FIA was trying to slow the cars down anyways. I hate the idea of the system myself, after they complain about high costs.
Reply
why not the LS2LS7? 10:59AM (10/24/2008)
NASCAR requires you to sell engines to anyone who wants one. Yes, it does mean your competitors get to see your engine.
John Johnson 11:01AM (10/24/2008)
Plz to not ever relate F1 and NASCAR again thx.
hyundaifans.com 1:34PM (10/24/2008)
LOL! I'm with John. Please never equate driving round in circles in one gear to real racing!
exkart 1:52PM (10/24/2008)
I don't like NASCAR, but you are wrong it IS racing!
Mobius_1 10:49AM (10/24/2008)
Can I buy one if I had the money? Would be a very very very expensive but also very cool ornament :)
Reply
gt-racer 11:19AM (10/24/2008)
Ornament!! I'd jump through hoops to get one in a street car, preferably a ferrari engine in say. . . a reworked F430.
Mobius_1 12:28PM (10/24/2008)
Actually, I would prefer to put that engine in something more... discreet :)
Heck, it should fit in an Ariel Atom, right?
teflon 11:38AM (10/24/2008)
10 million euros per unit?!
I don't think the math is right on that. This is supposed to be a cost cutting measure, right?
Reply
hashiryu 11:56AM (10/24/2008)
Yeah, that does sound kinda wrong.
Cameron 12:06PM (10/24/2008)
10 million euros per season I believe.
Engines must also last 3 races instead of 2.
Reply
Marko 12:41PM (10/24/2008)
> Cameron is correct.
The smaller teams have an approximate spending for engine procurement programs of 13 million USD. Remember that these engines are not just material costs, there is a crapload of R&D costs to include and the ridiculous labor involved in producing such high tolerance parts. 10 Million Euros into 18 races at 1 per 3 races is about 1.6 Million a pop! I wonder if the "joker" engines are free? I don't think that these figures include tuning development of the engines.
> John Johnson:
Yes. I am totally to the last fiber of my being against spec engines....thats the whole freaking point to F1! If those teams participating were losing money, they would not be racing. F1 is an ungodly expensive, pretentious, elitist, technological marvels because its the pinnacle of racing. The last place innovation has endless possibilities with the resources to persue the blue sky stuff.
People who want spec engines in an open wheel format have a ton of race series to follow: INDY, Formula BMW, Formula Renault, Skip Barber Dodge, you name it, you got it all under F1 tier.
Cardude 12:26PM (10/24/2008)
Cost cutting in F1 sounds like an oxymoron to me, but whatever, the spec engine idea was a bad one. For all you snobs, F1 and NASCAR both make a ton of money, F1 and NASCAR are both big time racing series, F1 and NASCAR both have major sponsorship deals, F1 and NASCAR both have some very annoying drivers at the top, F1 and NASCAR often make very foolish decisons and act like they don't care about us fans, F1 and NASCAR......hahaha I enjoyed that. I hate snobbery in the automotive world so I'll do my best to stomp it out!
Reply
John Johnson 1:39PM (10/24/2008)
NASCAR is the same as flushing a handful of Skittles down a toilet while drinking a beer.
adrian 4:24PM (10/24/2008)
The independent teams should work together to produce an engine to challange the big factory teams.
Reply
ken_aisin 4:28PM (10/24/2008)
How about allowing each team to build 12 race engines at the start of the season for the 2 cars they have. The teams can use these 12 engines in whichever way they want in the 18 races (meaning they can swap them at anytime, or moving an engine from one car to the other car at anytime). However, they are not allowed to rebuild the engines, and they are not allowed to do any modifications to the engines. If the team ends up blowing all 12 race engines before the end of the season, they are out.
In case the engine is damaged from an accident, and the team is not at fault, the team can be given a new engine. If the team loses an engine in an accident while the team is at fault, the team will lose that engine.
Reply
Matt 12:58AM (10/26/2008)
interesting idea but i dont know about if they lose all the engines they are out. imagine being teammate to someone like takuma sato and having him bust everything up and then theres no engines left for you?
it would be like giving an alcoholic a month's worth of booze and telling him to make it last the month... watching the pain it causes as they battle the urge is something i would find entertaining lol
ken_aisin 1:42AM (10/26/2008)
Thanks for your reply, Matt :)
Instead of "if they lose all the engines they are out.".... How about each time a blown engine is re-built, the car that uses this re-built engine in the next race will have to start from the pit-lane.
I think this sounds quite fair, and we can expect Taku starting from the pit lane 9 out of the 18 races..... LOL