Will the 1 engine limit ruling benefit Arrows ?

By Huw Alban
April 29 2002

The FIA World Motor Sport council have today ruled that for the 2004 season each team will be limited to one engine per Grand Prix weekend, with some pretty stiff penalties if that engine needs to be changed. Despite the apparent benefits, this site has some concerns over the ruling.

The FIA World Motor Sport council met today, and confirmed it's commitment to reduce costs in the sport by officially agreeing to limit each competing driver to 1 engine throughout a Grand Prix weekend. The FIA intend to give the race stewards new powers to penalise drivers that change their engines, which come into effect for the start of the 2004 season.

"From January 1, 2004, each driver may use only one engine for the three days of a Grand Prix weekend," read an FIA statement. "Each time his engine is changed during the event, the driver will move back 10 places on the grid. The FIA, in consultation with the teams, will define an engine change so as to prevent the rebuilding of an engine at the circuit. Use of the spare car counts as use of an additional engine."

What will this ruling mean for teams like OrangeArrows ?

This site has some grave concerns about this ruling. OrangeArrows pay for the use of it's Cosworth engines, so on the surface having to pay out for less engines makes sense. However, the pressure will be on the engine companies to make units that last for more than a normal race distance and you can imagine the wranglings that will take place between team and engine company if a unit fails... It may also lead to engine manufacturers pulling out of the sport completely in order to avoid this pressure and argument.

The original point for consideration on engine supply was to limit the teams to two engines per weekend. This was seen as the correct way forward because it gave the teams some leeway if an engine failed, and would help to promote full use of the practice sessions. If the limit were only one engine then it is unlikely that the teams will use the practice sessions fully in order to preserve the engine for qualifying and the race itself, and has to be seen as bad for the fans who pay some ridiculous sums of money to watch the sport at the circuits.

The move may also ultimately push up costs in F1, as the teams find more and more elaborate ways to work on chassis setup without having to put a wheel on the track. Those teams that have the money in the sport will benefit the most, widening the gap to the smaller teams.