Category Archives: F1

A return to refuelling is one of the measures the FIA is planning for 2017 in an attempt to give the sport a boost.

Almost 24 hours after yesterday’s Strategy Group meeting ended a joint statement from Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt outlined some of what had been discussed:

The Formula One Strategy Group met yesterday in Biggin Hill to exchange views on the current challenges that F1 faces. Besides the statuary members of the Group, representatives of the engine manufacturers were also invited.

The Strategy Group members have debated a number of levers aimed at improving the show. An initial series of measures has been voted:

For 2016:
– Free choice of the two dry tyre compounds (out of four) that each team can use during the race weekend
For 2017:
– Faster cars: 5 to 6 seconds drop in lap times through aerodynamic rules evolution, wider tyres and reduction of car weight
– Reintroduction of refuelling (maintaining a maximum race fuel allowance)
– Higher revving engines and increased noise
– More aggressive looks

A few other measures have also been discussed but require further investigation before they can be implemented:
– A global reflection on race weekend format
– Measures to make starts only activated by the driver without any outside assistance

Furthermore, in light of the various scenarios presented by the independent consulting company mandated by the F1 Strategy Group, at the initiative of the FIA, to work on the reduction of costs and following a constructive exchange, a comprehensive proposal to ensure the sustainability of the sport has emerged.

The Strategy Group member Teams have committed to refine it in the next few weeks, in consultation with the other teams involved in the championship. On the engine side, it has been decided that stability of the rules should prevail in consideration of the investments of the manufacturers involved in the sport and to give visibility to potential new entrants. The allowance for a 5th engine to be used during the 2015 season has been rejected.

This constructive meeting between the FIA, FOM and the Teams has allowed paving the way for the future of the championship. All parties agreed to work together with an intention to firm up these proposals and submit them to the approval of the F1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council of the FIA as soon as possible for implementation.

Ron Dennis has helped to convince the F1 Strategy Group to formally support the long-standing provision for third cars from top teams being introduced to make up the numbers should a current team fail – with customer car teams as the potential next step.

Both options are supposedly in the works only if they are needed should car numbers dwindle due to team financial collapses. And yet at the same meeting any discussions about the sort of cost-cutting or a redistribution of income that might help to save the struggling outfits apparently quickly fizzled out, in the face of opposition from the works-supported teams.

There was also no debate about a cheaper alternative engine being introduced for smaller teams – potentially a twin-turbo with KERS but not a full hybrid – despite Bernie Ecclestone pushing the idea in recent weeks.

The works teams now have to get together a proposal and a format for how customer cars could work, which presumably will have to be completed ahead of the next F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council meetings in July.

It’s understood that the existing independent teams such as Lotus, Sauber, Force India and Manor will be given “first refusal” on whether or not they want to switch to using customer cars, although none has indicated any support for such an idea, and they clearly won’t be too impressed that it is being pushed through.

It’s no surprise that Dennis was fully behind the potential move towards customer cars in the meeting. McLaren has long been a supporter of the concept, and with Honda in dire need of a second team with which to get track mileage, it makes sense more than ever.

There is no shortage of drivers, with Kevin Magnussen, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nyck de Vries and Honda protege Nobuhara Matsushita all available.

Intriguingly the ART GP2 cars of Vandoorne and Matsushita ran in full McLaren replica livery in Barcelona last weekend, further strengthening the ties between the F1 team and the outfit co-owned by Nicolas Todt. It would be logical to suggest that ART would be able to step forward and run McLaren customer cars in the future, should the opportunity arise.

McLaren also has an ongoing relationship with Manor, although the team’s difficult financial position is a potential hurdle.

No official statement has emerged since today’s lengthy meeting of the F1 Strategy Group in Biggin Hill, and which was attended by Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Todt and representatives of Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Williams and Force India.

However the word on the street is that it was a ‘constructive’ meeting, and that more information on what was discussed will be revealed to the world on Friday.

Subjects on today’s agenda included the fifth engine for 2015, as well as longer term rule changes for 2017 and beyond.

The FIA has six votes, FOM has six votes, and each of the represented teams has a vote. Ideas agreed today still have to be passed to the F1 Commission – where the other teams, race promoters and sponsors are represented – and then on to the World Motor Sport Council, whose next meeting is in Mexico on July 10.