Former FIA president Max Mosley believes the sports engine manufacturers should not be against radical changes to cut costs.
The manufacturers have until the 15th of January to submit any suggestions they may have on reducing the cost of their power units. Mosley believes manufacturers and the FIA should look at doubling the amount of mileage a power unit must do. This would mean drivers would only be allowed two engines per season before they begin receiving penalties.
“The current problem revolves round engine costs and supply,” he explained. “The solution would be rules allowing only two engines per car per season.
“This would simultaneously double supply and halve costs. Today’s engines would require only a modest adjustment to achieve that.”
“The engine suppliers would immediately say it was impossible and would be a disaster,”
“But in the history of F1, there has never once been a case where such predictions have proved accurate.”
Whilst you can see the logic in Max Mosley’s suggestion limiting drivers to just two power units a season is not possible. During the 2015 season at almost every race after the summer break, there was at least one driver with a 10, 15, 20 or even 40 place grid penalty due to a new engine component or complete power unit they needed to use. Add to this, the rule changes in 2017 and the issues that may come with that we could be seeing all but a few cars regularly pushed back due to penalties of some kind, which would eventually ruin the competition.
The FIA and the manufacturers need to think long and hard before making any decisions, with the future of the sport at risk it’s imperative they make the right decisions.
