Ferrari oppose long-life engines
author: Hendrik Verwoerd
Scuderia Ferrari has joined Renault in fiercely opposing the floated rules governing long-life engines. Next year, Formula One outfits will be restricted to using just one V10 powerplant per driver, per weekend.
But in a push to further drive down costs and curb the escalating gap between the works teams and struggling privateers, FIA President Max Mosley also intends to bring down harsher laws on long-life components.
As the world champion marque unveiled a striking new F2003-GA racer in Maranello, Ferrari engine boss Paolo Martinelli said that a six-race engine rule would be out of touch with the 'spirit of F1.'
The Italian supports the idea of one-engine per weekend for 2004: 'We think it is a good step and reasonable step to increase the life of an engine to cut costs,' he said.
'But to extend this concept further is not online with the spirit of F1 and we have to consider that F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, the extreme of technology, so we should consider it carefully.'
He warns, additionally, that constantly changing the engine regulations over the next four years would counter the FIA's plan to cut costs. 'We need to consider stability,' Martinelli says.
'Since the main purpose was to limit the costs, if you keep changing regulations every year all you will do is increase research and development costs.'
Ross Brawn, the Prancing Horse's technical director, says that with each radical regulation change by the governing FIA, Formula One loses a little bit of its role as the pinnacle of motorsport.
'The problem with the six race engine is all the baggage that comes with it,' says the Englishman.
Harsh penalties will accompany the plan to mandate the life of a Grand Prix engine. But Brawn says this would have an effect on the world championship.
He quizzes: 'What happens if it breaks after three races and you are put to the back of the grid? Then you have an engine that doesn't have to do six races, a whole system of penalties - this is much more troublesome.'
So while he welcomes the aim of extending the life of engines, Brawn adds that he is not sure if the six-engine plan is 'good for F1.'
But he offers: '[The teams] tend to be a little naval gazing, we tend to look a bit insular - so in the end it is difficult for us engineers to judge. For sure there is a limit on how far down it can come.'
Renault and Ferrari are just two of five manufacturers threatening to leave Formula One, for a new racing series dubbed GPWC, in 2008.
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