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F1 engine token system to be scrapped

Renault Sport F1’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul says that the controversial Formula One engine token system is set to be scrapped in 2017.

In return for reducing the cost of power units for customer teams by 2017 the engine manufacturers will be allowed more freedom to develop. Drivers would still be limited as far as the number of engines they may use per season and penalties would be enforced for those who exceed that limit which should keep the amount of updates a team introduces during the course of a season down to a reasonable number.

Abiteboul hopes that the change will make engine regulations easier for fans to understand also also allow other teams to catch up with Mercedes, ending their absolute dominance on the grid.

“The token system is being removed,” Abiteboul was quoted as saying.

“One of the reasons we have all agreed to do this is that we all need the performance of the engine to converge. An F1 that is dictated by the performance of the engine is not good for anyone.

“You see it is not good for Mercedes, it is not good for Renault, Ferrari – we all have interest to change that. We have decided, also for the public, to stop the public being confused between the penalty system, the token system – we have decided to simply remove the token system.”

The 2016 F1 season however will still engine see manufacturers restricted to 32 development tokens over the course of this season – the same as for the 2015 season.

February 4, 2016
WATCH: Renault F1 2016 Press Conference – Livery Launch

Watch as Renault launch their 2016 car and team with Kevin Magnussen alongside Jolyon Palmer. Renault unveiled their black and yellow livery which is set to change for the Australian Grand Prix. The team also confirmed the two new Renault drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer.

February 4, 2016
Magnussen or Maldonado at Renault?

With sponsorship payments putting Pastor Maldonado’s seat at Renault in jeopardy, young Kevin Magnussen stands a good chance of getting the Renault drive for 2016.

Magnussen who was let go by McLaren during the 2015 season has a strong chance of returning to Formula 1 after PDVSA, the Venezuelan energy company behind Maldonado’s sponsorship money, was late on a few payments to Renault.

Motorsport.com reports that unless Maldonado’s sponsors make a drastic last minute decision, the 2016 Renault drive will go to the young Dane.

After talks between Renault and PDVSA took place, it is understood that Renault were not given any assurances they were seeking and has moved on the Magnussen option.

January 28, 2016
Pirelli Wet Weather Test Report

Pirelli concluded their two day wet weather tyre test at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France to develop the 2016 Wet tyres.

More than 650 laps were completed and a total of 2 326km driven between 5 drivers and three teams. The circuit was chosen because of its very sophisticated variable sprinkler system which uses recycled rain water to simulate various wet weather conditions. This allowed the drivers to try out different tyre compounds.

The test was run over two days with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren participating in the test. Pirelli had extended the invite to all the teams where the cars from the 2015 season were used. No additional testing of components was allowed.

Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel drove for Ferrari on Monday and Tuesday respectively while McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne drove for both the days. Daniel Ricciardo tested for Red Bull on day one with Daniil Kvyat testing on day 2.

Over the two days, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was the fastest and completed the most laps(134) from all the runners.

The development of the tyres continues at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan by analyzing the telemetry from the teams and comparing that with its own data.

Pictures by courtesy Pirelli

January 26, 2016
F1 2016: Refueling out of the question

The issue of re-introducing refueling during Formula 1 race has been shot down again.

The FIA president, Jean Todt, recently confirmed that the issue would come under discussion at a meeting in Geneva. However, as in 2015, the possibility of bringing back refueling was dismissed by the Strategy Group and the F1 Commission.

The general feeling from the meetings was that the cost of re-introducing this aspect to the sport would be too costly. Williams technical director told Autosport that the costs of bringing it back into the sport would be “significant.”

“Freight costs for shipping equipment is £175,000 and it’s probably £200,000-250,000 to buy and service the kit in the first year and ongoing cost of servicing it,” he said. “There is also one dedicated salaried person for looking after it so the costs are very significant.”

January 25, 2016
F1 2016: McLaren on the up?

McLaren has passed a mandatory crash test for the front-end of its MP4-31.

The Woking based team reportedly completed and passed a dynamic test of the front of their 2016 car. The nosecone of the McLaren is rumoured to be similar in style to what the Red Bull Racing team ran in 2015. However, the longer nose as seen on the 2015 McLaren has not been ruled out as a viable option.

McLaren’s MP4-31 will be launched on February 21 in the pitlane of Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya. Rumours have also emerged that team has overcome it’s power unit deficiency. Honda, who struggled throughout the 2015 season, are alleged to have solved the issue surrounding its energy recovery system. Some put the rumoured gains that have been made by the Japanese manufacturer in the region in 223 horsepower.

If it is the case the the Honda engine should be on par with that of Ferrari and Mercedes however it still doesn’t answer the question of the woeful reliability the team endure throughout their 2015 campaign.

As the first test of the season draws closer you’d have to expect that rumours of such significant gains will remain pure speculation until the team and its drivers can get out on track and prove it.

January 25, 2016
F1 2016: Ferrari Passes Crash Test

The 2016 Ferrari car is well on course to make its debut in February after passing a mandatory FIA crash test.

The safety regulations of the FIA dictate that all critical areas of a Formula 1 car pass a standardised crash test before it is allowed to be officially entered into any official FIA race.

The latest team to pass the crash test is Ferrari who received the official stamp of approval after undergoing several tests. Reports are that the Italian team needed several attempts at passing the test because sampled more than one nose for their 2016 challenger. The Ferrari team’s 2016 car is already reported to be quite different from it’s 2015 predecessor and is rumoured to be introducing a short nose concept for the new season. The new nose isn’t so much a reproduction from what we’ve seen on other cars in 2015 but more a mixture between the nosecone sported by Mercedes and Toro Rosso.

The 2016 Ferrari, still unnamed, is expected to be launched towards the end of February as testing for the 2016 season gets underway in Spain.

January 25, 2016
WATCH: Max Verstappen vs. skieer Aksel Lund Svindal on top of Hahnenkamm mountain, Kitzbühel

Max Verstappen sure made moves that matter during the 2015 Formula One season proving that he is a fearless racer and not afraid to throw his car around any circuit! On the 14th of Jan, Verstappen took on champion skieer Aksel Lund Svindal on top of Hahnenkaam mounting in Kitzbühel. A thrilling watch and one that most definitely shows that young Verstappen has balls of steel! Enjoy!

January 20, 2016
FIA and F1 engine manufacturers reach agreement on power unit cost cap

Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, is expected to implement new rules at the start of the 2018 season which will regulate the costs of F1 engine supply going forward. This follows an agreement being reached by the current F1 engine manufacturers to reduce the cost of a V6 Hybrid power unit considerably, thereby ensuring that customer teams will not be left without an F1 engine deal.

consensus was reportedly reached between the FIA and F1 engine manufacturers during a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday. Various proposals guaranteeing cost effective supply for all teams were put forward and all indications are that the cost to customer teams will be significantly reduced.

F1 engine manufacturers had been put under pressure by the FIA who wrote out a public tender for an alternative engine formula in F1. This pressurised current suppliers to come up with a viable solution to alleviate customer teams who are currently struggling just to keep their heads above water as a result of the extremely high power unit costs. The deal is expected to remain in place until at least 2020.

Power unit prices are targeted to come in at around £12m. This results in a substantial cost reduction – teams are currently paying up to 50% more than that amount.

In addition, the number of gearboxes allowed for the season have also been reduced to three, as a part of the cost cutting initiative.

The changes will need to be formally ratified by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) after which the power unit discussion should be settled for the near future at least.

January 20, 2016
F1 2016: What to look out for in F1 2016

2016 is here and it brings with it the opportunity to create a dynamic, and with any luck, an unforgettable new chapter of Formula 1 racing. Already an array of topics from driver line-ups to power unit suppliers is demanding attention.

Ferrari expectations

The Italian marquee’s 2015 season while not earth shattering has created big expectations in Italy. The rest of the world, who’s perspective is a bit more realistic than that of the passion infused Tifosi, know that even matching the might of Mercedes is not a foregone conclusion. Since joining the team in 2013 Technical director James Alison is now firmly entrenched in Ferrari. The turnaround from a disastrous 2014 to a race-winning 2015 means serious pressure on Alison and his team to perform in 2016. It will be the responsibility of team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene to keep his team focused on its goals and to temper the expectations of the Ferrari board and its fans.

Mercedes quandary

It’s no question that where it concerns driver line-ups the spotlight will be squarely focused on the “relationship” between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Through their partnerships both have enjoyed spectacular and conversely poor moments and spent plenty of time sulking in respective corners. Up until now the team has been able to handle its drivers without too much issue. But the balancing act between placating both drivers and avoiding a full blown war between the two is a tenuous line.

If Mercedes finds itself as runaway leaders of the pack again team director Toto Wolff has said it may prompt them allow the drivers free reign when it comes to strategy, thereby “improving the show.” For the sake of the show let’s hope Mercedes has a real challenger.

Renault resurgence

The French manufacturer’s purchase of the Lotus F1 Team has been made official which will see the championship winning constructor return to the sport as a fully-fledged works team. 2016 is a big year in many ways for Renault of which priority number one will be to silence the boisterous criticism of its power unit.

Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado has been retained by Renault for 2016 and will be partnered by British rookie Jolyon Palmer. Together these two drivers will form one of the weakest driver line-ups of the season. While Palmer appears to be a solid driver any rookie is a leap into the unknown. Normally, a teammate with five years worth of experience would be useful for someone like Palmer. But when that teammate is Pastor Maldonado it’s a bit of a different story.

Many will attest to the fact that you could hardly meet a greater gentleman than Pastor Maldonado in the F1 paddock. He has shown glimpses of real potential throughout his F1 career including the stunning victory at the 2012 Spanish grand prix. But the Venezuelan has a big chink in his armour – his habitual tendency to crash frequently and expensively. For Renault the conservative objective is to finish solidly in the top ten and perhaps snatch a podium or two should the frontrunners fail to reach the chequered flag. Their drivers will have to step-up is this is to be achieved.

Haas’ sure-fire plan

Gene Haas is American racing royalty but he isn’t banking on his stateside fame and success to make it in Formula 1. The team has forged an alliance with Ferrari who will supply Haas with a power unit. In addition, Ferrari can also supply the American team with front and rear suspension and share in the R&D costs. While Ferrari supply the mechanical side of the Haas car Italian manufacturer Dallara has designed its chassis. This resourceful recipe should catapult this team firmly into the midfield.

The next step in preparation for the 2016 season is for the customary shakedown tests of the new cars to be completed before they’re unveiled to the world. Most teams have announced mid-February launches for the respective cars just ahead of the vital first test session of the season.

January 19, 2016