Aston Martin close to backing out of F1 engine project

Aston Martin close to backing out of F1 engine project

It’s been known for some time that Formula 1 is highly interested in bringing in new engine suppliers to the sport, but it is already close to losing a potential candidate in Aston Martin, according to a report by Autocar. The British publication stated that new regulations, set to be introduced in 2021, likely won’t put an end to the costly engine arms race that Gaydon can’t afford to participate in.

Rule makers originally proposed a cost-controlled formula, but compromises have already been made and while a final decision wasn’t expected to be announced until yesterday’s Austrian Grand Prix (won by Max Verstappen of Red Bull, of which Aston Martin is a title sponsor and “innovation partner“), the company’s CEO Andy Palmer said ahead of the race, “It doesn’t look like the new regulations will be of interest, sadly.”

He added that Aston Martin was initially interested on the basis of cost control, and that the new formula would be “a part of an equation” that would put more emphasis on the driver’s skill. “I don’t see the costs coming down far enough with the regulations I’ve heard discussed and I do see that the opportunity to spend a fortune chasing down a tenth of a second a lap will remain.

Aston Martin close to backing out of F1 engine project

“At Aston, we love the sport, and we’d love to be involved, but we cannot get involved in an arms race. It’s needlessly expensive and it undermines the sport, because whoever has the advantage of that tenth will win. I won’t say we’re definitely not going to do it until I see the final proposal because there are still some areas where there is not enough clarity. But if the door is left open to a spending war, then we won’t be involved.”

The sport’s governing body and teams announced the new regulations in October last year, but since then there have been a dispute on the details. The basic premise was that the designs of the 1.6 litre turbo V6 engines would be heavily mandated, with some of the expensive electric and energy storage systems being removed or standardised.

Aston Martin confirmed at the time that it was working with a consultant, former Ferrari engine chief Luca Marmorini, on a possible engine project. Palmer added that the company’s commitment to Formula 1 was long term and is not influenced by the team switching from Renault to Honda engines for 2019 and 2020.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • My 2 cents on Jul 02, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    In my opinion, F1 would lose its prestige as the pinnacle of motorsports if everything is done with budget control in mind. F1 is supposed to be only accessible by the best teams with financial backing from the biggest companies. If F1 is so affordable that almost any team with some money can participate, then the level of competition and technological breakthrough would become lesser and lesser. When every team is using the same hardware, there is hardly any incentive for the teams to be innovative and strive for the extra edge over competitors.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
    • F1 become like Indycar

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • Too bad F1 prestige becoming down to drain and becoming less interesting if they still restricting everyone from innovating something that can be brought on the track. I know they want to go green but the way they implemented the restriction from this to this makes other manufacturers went other motorsports.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Formulawhat on Jul 03, 2018 at 12:07 am

      F1 had lose most of the fans when that roaring engine sound is gone.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • 12yrsold on Jul 03, 2018 at 9:23 am

      There are pros & cons if there is a budget control :-

      Pros – It provide a level playing field hence U get to see the BEST brains(engineers) using the same budget & more race cars & teams participating too.

      Cons – With only a handful having limitless budgets, U only get to see 3/4 teams racing hence boring. I/We want to see many teams racing & it’s good for fans & sponsors. If less fans watch races, there will be less races & revenues Right!! just my 1 cent …

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • Semi-Value (Member) on Jul 03, 2018 at 9:42 am

      bring back the days of hesketh f1 and cool racing

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • 26 years ago semi automatic gearbox was introduced by Ferrari, then adopted by Williams, McLaren and now almost all constructors are using it that it has no much gain against all drivers.

    I suggest bring back manual gearbox. Bring out the best drivers again.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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