lamo wrote:
Its a mid season rule change, you can't cover everything. Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault engine cars will be running the higher limit way passed when the ban comes in. There will be different cars in different situations all through the remainder of the season. The curious thing is, why didn't Ferrari introduce the new engine in Spa when its was just one week before Monza.
With regards to it being two-tier, its a mid season one off rule change that will last for 8 races and be covered in next years rules. Its also between a team and its two customers that haven't managed to finish ahead of or out qualify the lead team in 25+ races and were 2.5+ seconds per lap slower in the last race. I don't think a 0.1 disadvantage for 8 races (if it is even that) is a big deal for them. FI and Willaims also could have taken new engines last race of the older or possibly newer spec.
The FIA has no way to investigate engine specifications so the rule of an engine being ran by one team then being allowed to be used by others if of the same specification would be impossible to implement as would an immediate new limit being set for all races on wards as most cars are using engines designed to run at the higher limit. So its the best they can do.
If one of the Mercedes drivers blows an engine, the team mate is going to have to run a lower specification.
I think the rule makers should do their damndest to ensure they
do cover everything, that's kinda the point.
Mid-season rule changes are always something that should only be considered as a last resort, and then only after all possible permutations have been considered. This is just poorly thought out. And, to put not too fine a point on it, it was completely unnecessary. It doesn't add to the racing, or the precious "show." Even if they were concerned about it then there was no need to rush it through this year. Instead, given half the season had already passed, they would have been far better off just including it in next year's regulations. Renault still wouldn't have needed to invest in the technology (if the allegation that they pushed for it to be banned is true), and no-one would have been discriminated against. But no, they just had to stick their oar in. It's this kind of stuff that makes the FIA look like Keystone Cops.