Engine freeze debate

[Mafia]

The engine freeze debate Toyota backs Renault amid engine freeze spat

Toyota has sided with Renault in the trackside spat about the legality of formula one engines.

First team boss Flavio Briatore, and then Renault racer Fernando Alonso, griped this week that they believe the French squad has fallen behind its competitors because of the 'freeze' on most engine development.

While they say Renault really did cease tinkering with its homologated 2.4 litre unit, some outfits - possibly including Ferrari and McLaren - continued making performance steps in the guise of allowable tweaks to improve reliability or reduce costs.

It is believed that, like Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, BMW have also made permissible changes to its homologated engine.

"From the Toyota side, we have obviously had the same approach as Renault - that means more legal than legal," the Japanese squad's Pascal Vasselon said in Hungary.

"It was an engine freeze, our engine has been frozen," he added.

[Conceptual]

I can guarantee that there is going to be an utter TON of mods made to all of the engines before 2009, most of them under the guise of KERS synergy.

But, at least it will be closer at the front.

RBR and Williams unfortunately suffer from this as well, since they are both customers of Renault and Williams. I'm sure that they will put pressure on the manufacturers to make improvements or buy different engines.

I hope that in 2009 everyone has 800HP V8's with max spec KERS units.

Then we can see who is the best chassis builder!

Chris