Tomorrow is a PU-meeting in Portimao. But I'm afraid Ferrari won't accept a development freeze.
It will be interesting what solution RBR will end up with.
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If Redbull would have to develop the powerunit, they need all the IP from Honda and translations of Japanese info. Also setup a development team. Not so easy and maybe Honda is not willing to let the IP leave the country.El Scorchio wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 18:31Not sure if it’s been mentioned on here but just mentioned on the TV that RBR will take over the Honda engine and develop it with an Austrian firm.
Also that Merc apparently are happy with the engine freeze Red Bull would want. Ferrari not so, I presume! Could be some fireworks there...
Why would they create another factory for this and who would pay for this? Besides, there already is a Honda factory in Kumamoto that can do this. The issue isn't having the infrastructure, the issue is whether they can level up existing engineers or hire the right personnel to continue to develop the areas that still have development potential. What needs to happen is knowledge transfer which should not be underestimated.NL_Fer wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 20:22If Redbull would have to develop the powerunit, they need all the IP from Honda and translations of Japanese info. Also setup a development team. Not so easy and maybe Honda is not willing to let the IP leave the country.El Scorchio wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 18:31Not sure if it’s been mentioned on here but just mentioned on the TV that RBR will take over the Honda engine and develop it with an Austrian firm.
Also that Merc apparently are happy with the engine freeze Red Bull would want. Ferrari not so, I presume! Could be some fireworks there...
If they would freeze development, Honda could just create a separate factory in Japan (like Mugen) which can built the engine, using the IP and sell the units to Redbull. Than Redbull and AVL could focus on programming the mappings and ERS control.
Create it on paper as a independent entity.ispano6 wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 20:44Why would they create another factory for this and who would pay for this? Besides, there already is a Honda factory in Kumamoto that can do this. The issue isn't having the infrastructure, the issue is whether they can level up existing engineers or hire the right personnel to continue to develop the areas that still have development potential. What needs to happen is knowledge transfer which should not be underestimated.NL_Fer wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 20:22If Redbull would have to develop the powerunit, they need all the IP from Honda and translations of Japanese info. Also setup a development team. Not so easy and maybe Honda is not willing to let the IP leave the country.El Scorchio wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 18:31Not sure if it’s been mentioned on here but just mentioned on the TV that RBR will take over the Honda engine and develop it with an Austrian firm.
Also that Merc apparently are happy with the engine freeze Red Bull would want. Ferrari not so, I presume! Could be some fireworks there...
If they would freeze development, Honda could just create a separate factory in Japan (like Mugen) which can built the engine, using the IP and sell the units to Redbull. Than Redbull and AVL could focus on programming the mappings and ERS control.
I think the $200 million buy-in has made it rather unattractive for new teams to come in... on the plus side, it increased Williams value on the books by about $140M.Mansell89 wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 19:32Engine freeze would be crazy unless Red Bull think that Honda have got a major step coming before they part?
Ferrari surely not going to agree given the Merc advantage.
Is a Honda U-turn possible- what would it take for the FIA to encourage Honda and any new teams to come?
The freeze would be for 2022, so Ferrari would have the rest of this year, and all of next year to bring their power unit up to snuff. Big question is, should Ferrari be allowed to catch up in terms of engine development? We wouldn't want a tortise and the hare scenario where the others ramp down their development allowing Ferrari to catch up only for Ferrari to overtake them, and then locking them into an advantage.
So you mean RedBull creates an independent company that hires Honda engineers or pays for the knowledge transfer of the PU operation, control/data center logistics and real-time analysis of the PU health management etc.NL_Fer wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 21:18Create it on paper as a independent entity.ispano6 wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 20:44Why would they create another factory for this and who would pay for this? Besides, there already is a Honda factory in Kumamoto that can do this. The issue isn't having the infrastructure, the issue is whether they can level up existing engineers or hire the right personnel to continue to develop the areas that still have development potential. What needs to happen is knowledge transfer which should not be underestimated.NL_Fer wrote: ↑25 Oct 2020, 20:22
If Redbull would have to develop the powerunit, they need all the IP from Honda and translations of Japanese info. Also setup a development team. Not so easy and maybe Honda is not willing to let the IP leave the country.
If they would freeze development, Honda could just create a separate factory in Japan (like Mugen) which can built the engine, using the IP and sell the units to Redbull. Than Redbull and AVL could focus on programming the mappings and ERS control.
In combination with measures like ballast or fiddling fuel flow to equalise the performance of all the entrants, that could be quite pragmatic indeed!
As an experiment, a season of F1 where the Williams, Mercedes and everyone between lap at the same rate would be rather gripping, much like the GT racing that uses the same balance-of-performance principle. 
