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Ferrari delays engine registration: Are Honda and Porsche coming?
FERRARI DELAYS ENGINE REGISTRATION
Are Honda and Porsche coming?
GP ABU DHABI 2022 The engine manufacturers' registration for 2026 is slowly gaining momentum. After Audi, Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains have signed up. Renault will follow next week. Honda and Porsche could sign up on suspicion. Only Ferrari is hesitating.
Michael Schmidt 20.11.2022
Two deadlines have already passed. At the first one on 15 October, only Audi had signed up for the new engine formula from 2026. In Abu Dhabi, FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem proudly announced: "Two more have signed up. And the others will follow." Mercedes and RB Powertrains confirmed a day later that they were on board.
With the second enrolment deadline also having passed on 15 November, bin Sulayem explained that the expiry date is fluid. It is a complex set of rules that all parties would have to study carefully first. Renault has studied carefully. Alpine boss Laurent Rossi announced that Renault would sign up in the next two weeks, after some legal question marks had been resolved.
Ferrari still wants a few questions clarified on engine rules from 2026.
Ferrari's concern: cost cap
Ferrari is not ready yet. Maranello sees the need for renegotiations not only on some financial issues like the increased entry fee and the price for customer engines. Ferrari worries whether the FIA can fairly control the budget cap for all, how new entrants will be favoured and what status RB Powertrains will get if Red Bull's new engine factory allies with a manufacturer later on.
At the moment, RB Powertrains is considered a 90 per cent newcomer, which also benefits 90 per cent from the bonus designed to lure new manufacturers into Formula One. That's more budget in the three years of preparation before 2026, and a temporary bonus of dyno hours has been blocked by the established engine manufacturers. Ferrari wants to know what happens if Red Bull makes common cause with Honda for 2026. Then the rookie status will no longer apply.
Rumours in the paddock suggest Red Bull could team up with Ford.
Red Bull with Ford?
Honda is expected to sign up for the engine formula from 2026. We may find out what the Japanese plans are as early as the big title celebration in Motegi in a week's time. The word in the paddock is that Honda will sign up separately and not enter into a joint venture with RB Powertrains, but will develop the complete powertrain in-house and then return with another team.
Nevertheless, RB Powertrains remains an interesting partner for car companies. In Milton Keynes there is a functioning engine factory with 300 engineers and mechanics, and the prototype of the combustion engine is already running on the test bench. Sporting director Helmut Marko recently hinted that there were other interested parties for a cooperation besides Honda. In the meantime, a clear favourite has apparently emerged. It is said to be Ford.
FIA and F1 management are encouraging Porsche to do the same as Honda. Sign up on spec to get their foot in the door in 2026. Porsche wanted to explore other options after Red Bull's cancellation. For Hyundai, Formula 1 comes too soon. The Koreans can still enter in 2027. The enrolment period for this expires on 30 June 202