Engine Unfreeze

[Richard]

how will honda have a greater knowledge than the other power unit suppliers have gained during the same time , in reality they will have less

Indeed. The other teams have a year of race experience plus design development on the dyno. I'm not sure how some people say this inferior to Honda with no race experience.

[McLobby]

Forget 32 - Honda had an unlimited number of tokens to spend THROUGH 2014 and UP TO the first race of 2015.

So did the others before their first race in 2014, plus they keep developing as we speak at their factories, and they have a very good idea as to were they should spend their 32 tokens. plus no rush as they will homologate during the season whenever they wish.

Honda would accept the right of the other manufacturers to use their 32 before season. As was the plan from the beginning and the interpretation Honda had in mind when they decided to enter F1.
But as long as their homologation extents during the season, we are talking about in-season development .
If Fia wants to make it fair they should either force them all to use their tokens before 28 Feb.- as was the plan before this ''loophole'' came out- or let Honda do the same in season development

[PlatinumZealot]

I think they should allow Honda the 32 tokens. As viewers, who cares if their engine is better than Ferrari or Renault? The worst (or best?) that could happen is that we get a close challenger to Mercedes. Don't people want to see a good fight for the Championship? I really don't get why viewers do not want Honda to be competitive.

[frosty125]

From my reading of the sporting and technical regulations the FIA could interpret the rules to put Honda on the same footing as Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes. From what I understand they are currently interpreting the rules as if Honda has used all of its 32 2015 tokens when they homologate their engine. However the FIA could say that they still have 32 tokens left as the regulations really don't cover this scenario (they weren't designed to as there should have been a single homologation date).

[dans79]

From my reading of the sporting and technical regulations the FIA could interpret the rules to put Honda on the same footing as Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes. From what I understand they are currently interpreting the rules as if Honda has used all of its 32 2015 tokens when they homologate their engine. However the FIA could say that they still have 32 tokens left as the regulations really don't cover this scenario (they weren't designed to as there should have been a single homologation date).

Makes you wonder if the rule makers are incompetent, or are intentionally writing rules that create drama.

[djos]

Honda wins F1 engines fight
16 January 2015 Updated 23:10
By Andrew Benson - Chief F1 writer

Formula 1's governing body the FIA has backtracked on an earlier ruling that allowed Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari to upgrade their engines but not Honda.
The move comes after Honda expressed its unhappiness about what it considered to be an unfair situation.
Honda will now be allowed to develop its brand new engine within limits explicitly laid out by the FIA.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/30860 ... um=twitter

Well hooray, commonsense has finally prevailed!

[Mesteño]

"If the three 2014 manufacturers have eight, seven and five unused tokens respectively at the start of the season, then the new manufacturer will be allowed to use six during the season (the average rounded down to the nearest whole number)".

Very sensible.

[djos]

Yeah it's not a bad solution overall.

[frosty125]

It seems like a fair solution but the FIA have now resorted to making up the rules as they go along. However it does seem sensible.

[djos]

It seems like a fair solution but the FIA have now resorted to making up the rules as they go along. However it does seem sensible.

So F1 as per normal then, right.

[J.A.W.]

"F1 as per normal" .. well sure, if by normal you mean.. its all about the "Show"..

Now - as to whether the "Show " is melodrama, or tragi-comedy.. hmmm..

( & IMO, the call to allow Honda/McLaren a fair go - does appear unusually "sensible" - for F1 though, too)..

[dans79]

Has anyone seen a clear indication of how many 2015 spec motors a manufacture can have? Can they have only 1, or can they have up to 4?

[Nickel]

So I think this might create an incentive for the other manufacturers to use as many tokens as possible by Melbourne. Especially Mercedes. I would not be surprised to see Merc use all 32 by season's start.

[Moose]

So I think this might create an incentive for the other manufacturers to use as many tokens as possible by Melbourne. Especially Mercedes. I would not be surprised to see Merc use all 32 by season's start.

Honestly, I don't understand why everyone is predicting Merc is the one who are going to use all their tokens.

If I were Renault, I would be using all my tokens and fixing everything I possibly could fix as fast as I possibly could.

If I were Merc, I would be holding off until I know what everyone else can do, safe in the knowledge that the already superior engine ought to be able to hold them off for 5 races.

[Juzh]

Has anyone seen a clear indication of how many 2015 spec motors a manufacture can have? Can they have only 1, or can they have up to 4?

Why only 4? They can have as many as they want if they're willing to take the penalty.