[maonnjtip]

"Formula One has quietly dropped a requirement for engines to last three successive races this season.

Article 28.4 of the 2009 sporting regulations, posted on the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA)'s website (www.fia.com) this week, makes no mention of having to use engines in sequence.

"Each driver may use no more than eight engines during a championship season," the article declares.

"Should a driver use more than eight engines, he will drop 10 places on the starting grid at any event during which an additional engine is used."

There are 17 races this season, starting in Australia on March 29.

An FIA spokesman confirmed the new rule would allow drivers to use their eight engines in whatever sequence they wished."
http://tvnz.co.nz/motorsport-news/f1...e-rule-2445660


This could make for some interesting strategy! The penalty situation is not altogether clear to me. In fact the rule is stated rather ambiguously. Is it ok to use an engine for one, or two races, use a new one, and then the previous one later

"The FIA's world motor sport council said in a statement last month that there would be an eight engine quota per driver but added that the three-race rule previously agreed in November would remain in force"

If they use more than eight engines is it an additional penalty

[CealialactBek]

This is a far more sensible way of doing things. Unless of course we get the smaller teams using one engine per race at the start of the year then taking a penalty every race after that!

[bestonline]

McLaren's newly appointed team principal Martin Whitmarsh:

There is still some (confusion), because the regulations were accelerated out, I think some points have to be clarified. One of the points that isn't 100 per cent clear in the regulations is if you use your ninth engine do you get a penalty once, or every time you use the ninth engine? Logically, and it's everyone's belief that you get the penalty once, but it isn't explicitly clear in the regulations at the moment. There are a number of things that need to be clarified. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72845

Mom, the FIA is doing it again!

[Overlord]

This is a bit foggy - suppose (in the worst case) a driver used 8 engines in the first eight races and then finished the season using only one additional engine (his ninth.) Does this mean that he will be dropped 10 places in every race that he uses his ninth engine in (i.e. the rest of the season) or just in the ninth race? The way I read the (vague) rule is that he would be dropped 10 places in all races after the eighth.

[wasssallx]

I presume there's some method by which "Engine A" is identifiable as "Engine A" to prevent, say, "Engine A" being used in the first race, being rebuilt using almost completely different parts, and being reused a few races later, still as "Engine A". Or something like that. Essentially the old routine about having the same brush for years, only changing the handle four times and the brush six...

I wonder also if this rule change has anything to do with a likely increase in unreliability with all the new KERS stuff on the cars (some would say there's already too many 'kers in F1 already... )

[STYWOMBORGOSY]

I presume there's some method by which "Engine A" is identifiable as "Engine A" to prevent, say, "Engine A" being used in the first race, being rebuilt using almost completely different parts, and being reused a few races later, still as "Engine A". Or something like that. Essentially the old routine about having the same brush for years, only changing the handle four times and the brush six...

I wonder also if this rule change has anything to do with a likely increase in unreliability with all the new KERS stuff on the cars (some would say there's already too many 'kers in F1 already... )

The engines would be sealed by the FIA, the same way they were last year for the two race engine rule.

The KERS itself might be unreliable but its unlikely to cause engine failures (though not impossible).

[maysubers]

Great job again by FIA.

[SetSnonejog]

Reasonable decision IMO.
It allows for greater flexibility in planing the strategy for the various tracks.

[TheDoctor]

Reasonable decision IMO.
It allows for greater flexibility in planing the strategy for the various tracks.

I agree that on the face of it, there is benefit in this idea.

However........

As per usual, the rules are a bloody mess and have changed from what was agreed.

Why?

[SetSnonejog]

I agree that on the face of it, there is benefit in this idea.

However........

As per usual, the rules are a bloody mess and have changed from what was agreed.

Why?

Cost reduction.
Initially there was the 3 races/engine rule which meant 6 + 1 joker engine per driver per season + free engines for practice sessions (anybodies guess how many, but I would say 1/race or /2 races) = a total of 16 - 24 engines.

The new rule specifies the total number of engines per season per driver (races + free practice) being 8! Looks to me like a serious cut of costs for the poorer teams.

[Twelearly]

When I look at the rule I see it quite clear that this rule will be changed again before 2009 season ends...

Seems quite obscure, and when rules are not absolutely clear there tend to be, let´s say, "loopholes". Or endless pits... It´s also a bit confusing that they haven´t changed the rule with a great display of fireworks, because engine rule changes are usually quite well made public and covered by the media. Why is this? Does the FIA think people won´t like it? Am I trying to see ghosts where they aren´t?

Anyway, a limit of 8 engines seems OK to me, supposing there´s not a widespread abuse of the bottomless holes that could be found in the rule.

[TheDoctor]

Cost reduction.
Initially there was the 3 races/engine rule which meant 6 + 1 joker engine per driver per season + free engines for practice sessions (anybodies guess how many, but I would say 1/race or /2 races) = a total of 16 - 24 engines.

The new rule specifies the total number of engines per season per driver (races + free practice) being 8! Looks to me like a serious cut of costs for the poorer teams.

The previously agreed number was 1 engine would last 3 races so they would need 6 engines for a season.

This has been increased to 8 as a way of cost cutting??? You've lost me again!!

Neither regulation affected testing while practice and Qualifying mileage was included in the engine figures.

[SetSnonejog]

The previously agreed number was 1 engine would last 3 races so they would need 6 engines for a season.

This has been increased to 8 as a way of cost cutting??? You've lost me again!!

Neither regulation affected testing while practice and Qualifying mileage was included in the engine figures.

Friday practice wasn't, I think that now it is with this 8 engines rule.

[TheDoctor]

Friday practice wasn't, I think that now it is with this 8 engines rule.

So, they turn up with the engine from the last race, chuck in a practice one, run it around for a few laps, change it back and then Qualify?

I'm not saying you're wrong but have you got a link because it seems quite unlikely?

[ChyFDjfed]

The 8-engine rule for a season per driver seems like a good solution to me, definetely an improvement over what we have had so far. The penalty system needs to be clarified though.

[quottrethew]

would they be allowed to rebuild an engine from parts from the 8 engines

[LeviBrawn]

This is a bit foggy - suppose (in the worst case) a driver used 8 engines in the first eight races and then finished the season using only one additional engine (his ninth.) Does this mean that he will be dropped 10 places in every race that he uses his ninth engine in (i.e. the rest of the season) or just in the ninth race?

If its done like that, what happens if he blows up the 9th engine and starts running with the 10th? 20 place penalty for the rest of the season? They'll run out of places!

Maybe they'll add whole lap penalties for every additional engine after 9!

[TheDoctor]

As far as I understand it, you get a 10 place penalty if you use an additional engine. It does not say it's a one off but a 10 place penalty if your using the engine so I assume it applies to each subsequant race.

I don't think it's a bad rule but badly defined and again a change from what was previously agreed with the teams. That's what I was questioning.

[SetSnonejog]

As far as I understand it, you get a 10 place penalty if you use an additional engine. It does not say it's a one off but a 10 place penalty if your using the engine so I assume it applies to each subsequant race.

I don't think it's a bad rule but badly defined and again a change from what was previously agreed with the teams. That's what I was questioning.

It's not badly defined, it is defined like that because Max likes to have the freedom to change it when he thinks so.

[quottrethew]

F1 drop three-race engine rule
1 engine will need to do 3 races