Engine Regulations

[Steve Wilson]

With development stinted on the current F1 engines I got thinking about what would happen if a new engine manufacturer entered the game in 2008 (however likely that might be to happen). What exactly would happen, as theoretically a company like Cosworth who has already produced many F1 engines may get a significant advantage as they could have been developing an engine for all of this year when other companies can't. Surely this would be unfair on all the other teams but I can't see any other way of doing it? It will be interesting to see if this ever happens in 2008/2009.

[Giblet]

I don't see any real advantage for a team or engine manufacturer to bother, giving all the development needed just to be "competetively homogenated", when the best engines are already for sale in F1.

Since 3 of the teams are often, if not always, going faster then the factory cars with the 'same' engine, there is little or no reason to start freshish.

In a couple of years another manufacturer may enter such as Audi, then they will likely build their own engines, or buy a company like Cozzy and use their facilities to make Audi branded engines.

A company like Prodrive may rebrand a Mercedes powerplant for sponsorship reasons, like Petronas did with Ferarri engines before the BMW lovefest commenced.

[Cyco]

Giblet, Audi already owns Cosworth, or atleast part of them

[modbaraban]

VW/AUDI stated countless times that they don't want to enter F1. As well as Porsche.

The manufacturer most likely to enter F1 is Hyundai

[scarbs]

Audi do not own Cosworth Racing, which is the part that built the f1 race engines. Instead its owned by by the champcar organisers (IIRC kevin Kalkoven)

[zac510]

This is confusing as Cosworth was split up into two companies called Cosworth Racing (f1, etc) and Cosworth Technology and sold to two different parties several years back. VW once owned the latter so in a sense you're both correct

[Belatti]

I think that teams with money are still developing F1 engines, no matter they are not using them... if later, the rules allow to move a step up, those will have some advantage...

It´s easier to do that than cutting off a 200M proyect from day to night...

maybe I´m wrong but that´s what I think