Engines have to last three races from 2009

[Arrows_F1]

Just found the artice on Formula1.com:

The FIA confirmed on Wednesday that from next season Formula One engines must last for three Grand Prix meetings. Engines were required to last for two events in 2008. The move is part of the governing body’s continuing push to drive down the costs of competing in the sport.

Rules regarding engine-change penalties are expected to remain the same, with each driver allowed one free ‘joker’ change, after which a new engine will mean a drop of 10 places on the grid.

What do you think about it ?, Are we going to see more engine blow ups next year ?

[koinek]

^No I doubt it. Teams extensively test beforehand to design an engine specifically for three races. They will just be a little slower I think. It will be interesting to see the use of jokers though. I also think the schedule will have a huge impact on this. Spa - Monza - Singapore?

[megasyxx]

today's v8's are very much reliable ....thanks to the rev limit.

[KASH]

This rule could decide very important races. But I think it's just another rule of making formula one slower that now. They will drive more carefully ...

[syncmaster]

iam sure that Ferrari will come out with a nice solution and then they will not have any problems

[shailf1]

Well this definitely redues cost.
The figure below is a pie diagram showing the f1 teams expenses during a season. Interesting that 50% of their expenses are to do with engine..



This is in 2006 by the way.

[AzShadow]

Apparently the three race requirement for each engine has been dropped, but the engine rules are still unclear:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72845

[why so serious]

From James Allen's blog reciting from fia.com

a) Each driver may use no more than eight engines during a Championship season. Should a driver use more than eight engines he will drop ten places on the starting grid at any Event during which an additional engine is used.
An engine will be deemed to have been used once the car’s timing transponder has shown that it has left the pit lane.

b) If a driver is replaced at any time during the Championship season his replacement will be deemed to be the original driver for the purposes of assessing engine usage.

c) After consultation with the relevant engine supplier the FIA will attach seals to each engine in order to ensure that no significant moving parts can be rebuilt or replaced. Within two hours of the end of the post race parc fermé, and if the Competitor intends to use the engine at the next Event, exhaust blanking plates (with one 10mm diameter inspection hole per cylinder) and further seals will be applied in order to ensure that the engine cannot be run until the
next Event. These seals will be removed at the start of initial scrutineering at the next Event.

d) If any of the FIA seals are damaged or removed from an engine after it has been used for the first time that engine may not be used again unless they were removed under FIA supervision.

[why so serious]

Q & A with Charlie Whiting

[...]

Q. There's also some kind of uncertainty recently about the number of engines the teams will be able to use over the season…

CW: It's eight engines for the whole year. A driver will only incur a penalty if he uses a ninth engine. So the teams can use the engines as they like. There's no three consecutive race rule because there doesn't seem to be a need for it any longer. The engines will not have to do three complete events now.

In the past, as you know, the two-race engine was used only on Saturdays and Sundays. Now, for 17 races, the eight engines will have to do the three days of each Grand Prix. What the teams will do is to have a Friday engine that'll probably do the first four races or something of that nature. They'll then take the engine out and use another one for Saturday and Sunday. All we've got to do, - it'll be extra work - is to make sure that these engines remain sealed and are untouched.

Q. So, once you've started the event with one engine, you will be able to change it whenever?

CW: Exactly!

[shailf1]

interesting change. I could see some driver using the same engine for 4 or 5 races and then saving one for engine tracks like monza and spa.... maybe ..

[why so serious]

interesting change. I could see some driver using the same engine for 4 or 5 races and then saving one for engine tracks like monza and spa.... maybe ..

There are 17 races in the calender, which means 17 Fridays and 17 Race Weekends. Teams may want to allocate for just two or three engine for Friday sessions considering those engines won't be heavily used as in 2008, which will allow them to use more "joker" engines for race weekends. For instance, 6 engine per 17 race weekends (Saturday + Sunday) means each engine must still be used for 3 race weekends, not necessarily being consecutive. If teams opt to do some testing in Fridays in lieu of banned in-season testing, then they will comprimise the engine life which will have to last more races than that of the first one. At the end of the day, it is all about comprimising.

One more thing, I think parc ferme condition becomes void and null as teams will be able to change it whenever they want so. Thus a driver, after qualification, may want to use his brand new engine for the race. So, modified engines for the sole purpose of qualification may return to the show. Am I right?

[shailf1]

i think you are right. what i wanted to say was that they might use 1 engine for 2 race while others for 4

[why so serious]

i think you are right. what i wanted to say was that they might use 1 engine for 2 race while others for 4

Yes, it's quite possible. And maybe they'd like to reserve a fresh engine for the last race.

[AzShadow]

One more thing, I think parc ferme condition becomes void and null as teams will be able to change it whenever they want so. Thus a driver, after qualification, may want to use his brand new engine for the race. So, modified engines for the sole purpose of qualification may return to the show. Am I right?

The 8 engines for the whole season had been known for a while but I hadn't thought about that aspect. Looks like the engine rules have just got a lot more interesting! Though I'm not sure how some teams can cope with only 8 engines. Especially Ferrari had severe engine problems last season and now they're supposed to do the whole 2009 season including Friday testing with just 8 engines.

[shailf1]

its made the engine choice even more tactical like pitstops.