Formula 1 teams can use three engines during one season Photo: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
The phrase “less is more” obviously didn’t make it into the vocabulary of Formula 1 directors. Despite the record-breaking 22 races currently on the calendar for this year, the inclusion of new events in 2022 are expected to push that number up until 23.
With the sport’s constant endeavor to reach new routes and cities, the series aims at additional triple header events and plans new races in places like Miami. Teams have cited the challenges of the ever-expanding calendar, and concerns remain about the surging demand that an inflated season could have for the sport.
But while management might claim the increased schedule is good for the sporting spectacle, could the increased load affect the racing with an influx of starter penalties for the drivers?
at this year’s Austrian Grand PrixHis stewards were apparently happy with the penalty shoot-out and distributed 13 referrals to the competitors over the Grand Prix weekend. And many fans were not impressed with the practice.
Is there a risk that such sanctions will soon become all too common, ahead of a race weekend when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and championship contender Lewis Hamilton could impose starting penalties for replacing engine parts?
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Renault develops the V6 engines that power the Alpine F1 teamPhoto: PETER KOHALMI / AFP (Getty Images)
According to the current rules, cars can be operated with three engines during the season. If they need more, the drivers are given starting place fines.
But this year Red Bulls Max Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas have already used up their quota. Each driver was then penalized and started further down in the order he liked.
Is it to be expected that the current generation of turbo-hybrid engines will keep pace with the ever-growing calendar, as Sainz and Hamilton will now also face penalties and certainly more drivers in the further course of the races?
Sure, we are aware of the amazing thermal efficiency of the current F1 engines, but they are no miracle workers. For teams that use three engines during the season, that’s more than 7 races per engine – or almost 1,500 miles of racing. That’s before you practice, and qualifying any crashes you might be involved in.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided in Italy
Compare that to 2009, when F1 teams were able to use eight engines in 17 Grand Prix.
It’s great that the gensets can now cover a lot more ground and is something the F1 should probably shout a little more about. But when the current engine regulations were introduced in 2014, the season only comprised 19 races.
With four more events planned for 2022, F1 needs to be aware of the additional burden it puts on the teams and their propulsion units. Engine development will also be frozen in early 2022, so the sport cannot expect the teams to get innovations out of the bottleneck. Instead, it apparently forces them to accept more punishments across the board.
Would an additional aggregate grant fit into the upcoming budget cap, or should organizers stop chasing shiny new routes to run the circus?
The post The long F1 plan for next year is made to destroy engines first appeared on monter-une-startup.
