With the end of the 2015 Formula One season nigh, it is commonplace for the drivers’ silly season to be in the spotlight next to the championship.
This season however, there is another peculiarity still stealing the headlines – the engines.
The lead protagonists in this ongoing scenario are Red Bull Racing. They, along with their sister outfit Toro Rosso, are still without a power supply for 2016 – despite numerous development deadlines looming.
Red Bull have held discussions in Austin with Honda, who have endured a beleaguered return to Formula One with the prestigious McLaren team.
In a turn of events, it appears that Red Bull are yielding towards an interim engine solution – contra to their non-negotiable stance two months ago.
Adding a second team to its engine programme would be beneficial for Honda, as the Japanese marque seeks to recover the 160bhp deficit it currently suffers, in relation to the leading manufacturers.
However, a roadblock has emerged in the form of McLaren CEO Ron Dennis, with the supremo allegedly having vetoed any ambitions his engine partners have of supplying another team in 2016.
Dennis’ rationale can be justified by the bitter stance that rival suppliers Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz have taken on Red Bull. Knowing all too well how Red Bull are with their chassis, powering the enemy would be suicide for the manufacturer team.
So with the current engine suppliers enterprising “asset protection”, as Bernie Ecclestone put it, the drive is on by the FIA for an alternative, low-cost power supply.
A tender is set to be opened this week, by the sport’s governing body and commercial rights holder FOM, for a 2.2-litre V6 engine with twin-turbos and a more simplified KERS package.
Measures will be undertaken to ensure parity between the ruling 1.6 turbo-hybrids and the proposed twin-turbo V6, but it is yet to be seen how that will be achieved.
Essentially, this blueprint gives the rapacious manufacturers a kick up the exhaust, as well as open an avenue for smaller teams to run competitively at a fraction of the cost.
Therein lies a solution for outfits such as Red Bull Racing, who find themselves without power for 2016. If these surrogate engines (whenever they are introduced) are a success, then the energy drink giant will return to the fore.
For other midfield teams such as Sauber, who are perennially embattled in financial woes, this engine could be their ticket to surviving in Formula One.
And if no other marques are enticed into entering the sport with a works operation, this gives the option for privateers to once again reemerge.
It may be eons before Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz submit to a cost-cap on engines, or anything for that matter. By adding a substitute, the current manufacturer duopoly may dissolve and return the onus to chassis differentiation between the teams.
However it remains to be seen what the Strategy Group – on which Ferrari and Mercedes sit – does with the concept.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Very much so, and what Steve was saying in that it was the Red Bull empire over STR who were demanding parity is true. But for Didi to threaten to pull both teams out, was ridiculous.
Bayden Westerweller
Roar Guru
Bring back Judd! Wishful thinking perhaps, though a(nother) Cosworth return - this time in their true guise as the proletariat for the masses, as they were in the 1970s with the infamous DFV customer package, would represent a romantic notion.
Bayden Westerweller
Roar Guru
To that end, an STR 11 evolved from its' more than handy predecessor, equipped with a 2015 Ferrari PU, would transform from regular points finishers to podium contenders, not least with their incumbent brigade at the wheel.
Stevo
Guest
F1 need to do something about the engine situation. To head into any particular race where only two drivers from one team are assured of being in contention for race wins is a massive problem for the sport. Formula 1 has to be the most uncompetitive race series in world motorsport and this current problem is surely a turn off for motorsport fans. When Mercedes are generally anywhere from 1 - 2 seconds per lap faster and more than almost every other car on the grid makes for a generally boring race. Id even rather we go with Bernie's idea of installing trackside sprinklers and having wet racetracks as we had in the US on the weekend. Before the track dried out, it was probably the most exciting race of the season, that I'm almost praying for wet races in the last three rounds.
Stevo
Guest
I think it was more Red Bull demanding parity more than Torro Rosso who seem happy to be mid table runners.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
It seems likely AND they'll be using the 2015-spec. How's that, for when a couple of months ago they demanded parity or it was bust?
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
They try and they try, but it is ultimately the bigger teams who deny any hopes of there being a budget cap. Because when you are living luxuriously, why give it up? As you say, the less financed teams have no hope with development because a chunk of their budgets go into buying the engines. At least with an independent alternative which is cheaper, those smaller outfits can save the money and put it towards chassis development. As long as there is some of parity between the 1.6 and the 2.2, it will be amazing to see whether a Sauber or Force India get a boost.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
F1 is always trying to lower costs to potentially level the field. How does changing engine design every few years do that? Teams have to put so much money into development each time it changes and it just ends up costing more, leaving the lower less financed teams with no hope.
Stevo
Guest
Torro Rosso will be using Ferrari engines next season.