2009 Engine Freeze Relaxation. How will it work?

[kekekeke]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 3405.shtml

Renault and Honda have confirmed they will be among the teams authorised to make performance improvements to their engines ahead of the 2009 season.

The FIA declared recently that some teams will be allowed to 'equalise engine performance', following the emergence of a situation whereby some frozen-specification V8s have pulled ahead this year.

How will they make this work. Will they dyno each engine and make sure they're equal? What happens if the Renault and Honda manage to make a more power engine than other teams?

[Scotracer]

It wont work. Simply put.

There's no sporting way to look at this. They are giving those who decided to let off their engine development departments a free chance to make up ground.

It's all a load of bullshit and I don't see how this is at all fair.

[woohoo]

Ok, if this is not a load of FIA bullshit I dont know what is.
Why would you allow some teams get an advantage, and not others ?

And who regulates who get to improve, and by how much ?

[Conceptual]

Maybe they should make the teams supply the entire seasons engine supply to the FIA before the start of the season, and then the FIA hands them out on race weekends?

That way, the customer engines could also be randomized.

And it is MORE bullshit that the other teams DID NOT stop engine development, because if they had, this would not be a necessary endeavor.

I am thinking that Renault may have already made some late gains with their engine this year, possibly just lubricants, but Renault have looked GOOD in the last 2 races...

Good thing that renault already got the go ahead, because if they happen to pull out another win in the last 2 races this year, they may have lost their claim...

If they DO happen to score podiums in the next 2 races, look for Ferrari and McLaren to scream about them not needing to improve to be competitive!

[woohoo]

ehh, Honda and Renault also sucked in the last two years. Not just this year.

[Scotracer]

Maybe they should make the teams supply the entire seasons engine supply to the FIA before the start of the season, and then the FIA hands them out on race weekends?

That way, the customer engines could also be randomized.

And it is MORE bullshit that the other teams DID NOT stop engine development, because if they had, this would not be a necessary endeavor.

I am thinking that Renault may have already made some late gains with their engine this year, possibly just lubricants, but Renault have looked GOOD in the last 2 races...

Good thing that renault already got the go ahead, because if they happen to pull out another win in the last 2 races this year, they may have lost their claim...

If they DO happen to score podiums in the next 2 races, look for Ferrari and McLaren to scream about them not needing to improve to be competitive!

The reason we're in this mess is because the FIA doesn't know how to write technical regulations and never has.

[WhiteBlue]

I rather think they know how to write them but they get snookered into tweaks all the time by the teams, the tyre suppliers, the manufacturers, by CVC, by Bernie and whoever happens to have the strongest lobby of the day.

[Steven]

Well, now that they have opted to level engine performance, the suggested solution is probably the best.

I don't think Renault winning now will change anything to that. After all, the FIA can access ALL engine data of each team, and can scientifically decide who is behind and how much they are allowed to improve their engine. It will be unlikely that any team is allowed to overhaul today's best engine.

[WhiteBlue]

it should not be too hard to put a hard ceiling into the ECU software for power output. this will immediately promt the teams to tweak their engines to lower fuel use. just compare the FOTA discussion on banning refuelling. somehow the big teams will find a new loop hole with fuel saving and apply research to it.

[Jersey Tom]

Not sure how you'd control power output to X value with the ECU. You can control fuel and spark... but combustion energy of the fuel, combustion efficiency of the chamber, losses... that's all outside the ECU, no?

[ISLAMATRON]

Not sure how you'd control power output to X value with the ECU. You can control fuel and spark... but combustion energy of the fuel, combustion efficiency of the chamber, losses... that's all outside the ECU, no?

You are correct... there is no way to measure power output from the ECU, and no way to control it other than fuel & spark timing.

[Shaddock]

Teams will re-program their ECU's for each circuit anyway. The mapping on the ECU for Monaco (torque biased) would be very different than say Fuji (HP biased) across all 12 maps.

How the FIA are going to try to compare like for like is interesting

[mx_tifoso]

How the FIA are going to try to compare like for like is interesting

Easily, they would need to hire a lot specially trained people to do the comparisons between all of the engine designs. And of course these hirees will not subtle for low salaries...

That's one possibility if engines are 'equalized'. Although, thinking about it, even if outputs are equalized among manufacturers, powerbands will still differ and that will determine which engine is 'better', thus giving an advantage. So then all engines will have to work and operate in the exact same way, until we end up with identical spec engines, and the only differences will be the manufacturer label on them. This will be great...

[ISLAMATRON]

The engines wont be totaly equalized, but the balance will be restored to GP Malaysia type levels when the engines were Homologated. The FIA will probly allow Renault, Honda & Toyota to complete the same type of improvements that were approved for Ferrari, Mclaren & BMW. At least that would be the smartest way to go about it, but nobody here thinks the FIA are smart do they?

[ESPImperium]

What i was led to belive that Ferarri, BMW and Mercedies will be frozen, no development. Toyota will be alowed small increments of development, roughly 10-12 BHp increase, however Renault and Honda are going to be allowed to make arround 20-30 BHp increase.

The rumored power ratings of engines are as follows from what ive been led to belive;

Ferarri: 795 BHp
Mercedies: 785 BHp
BMW: 790 BHp
Toyota: 770 BHp
Renault: 755 BHp
Honda: 745 BHp

From what im also led to belive, and was confirmed at Fuji, that the Ferarri has alot of extra (redundant) horspower at the top end, thus making the Ferarri very fast at the end of long straights, as Kimi showed when challenging Robert in the closing stages for 2nd place.

You can see this just by looking at the speed traps, theres Ferarris, STRs and even the odd FIF1 in there, but surprisingly enough this season has seen RBR and Renault get into the top 5 fastest cars in Quali speed traps. Thus showing theese teams have sugh a good aero/chassis package.

Dont quote me on those figures tho, im just going on what someone at my work told me, and im shure those figures arnt right, but could easily be wrong.