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Ferrari has announced that it will 'reconsider its participation' in F1 if the FIA pushes through its proposal to make teams use a standard engine.

Ferrari is bitterly opposed to the plans, which the FIA claims will help to cut spiralling costs in F1.

In a statement issued after a board meeting the team said:
"The Ferrari Board of Directors expressed strong concerns regarding plans to standardise engines, as it felt that such a move would detract from the entire raison of a sp...Read the full article

Engines are the one part of F1 where the teams can express their character. What they should be doing is having a torque/horsepower limit and letting the teams generate those figures however they want.

If cost saving is what is required (which it clearly is) then have standard tubs and suspension, fuel tanks, tyres and bodywork, then let teams have full tweaking freedom on chassis, gearbox and aero settings.  You could even let them make their own nose cones for that brand identity thang...

I think the manufacturers should be allowed to produce the most amount of horsepower that they can and that this should be a test of who has the biggest balls and the sharpest reactions. I think that as cars get faster (on this basis) that the grands prix circuits should be progressively longer and longer to cater for the speed so that braking distances become longer and longer to allow for more overtaking. They'd get more spectators in on this basis which would mean higher revenues to allow for higher capital investment on improvements (which is all fine until Bernie takes an even larger cut and still keeps circuits running at a loss).

Ferrari versus the FIA - I love it!

I agree with Bruce on this one. the teams should be allowed to extract as much power from their engines as is allowed within the set parameters of the engine specification. Its a bloody competition for pete's. Thats the whole point of the sport. to be better than your rival. and engines are one telling area where the teams express themselves. like this year for instance the Ferraris are claimed to have a few ponies advantage over the rest of the field. thats because they're good at building their engines. MM seem to have the best chasis and on the grid. thats how teams play it. you do what you're very good well and develop the rest along the season. no point in telling me that i can have more than say 800bhp from my engine when i can easily get 820 or 830 to give me an advantage.The manufacturers can go and form their own competition. I'm sure they'll get a few more names on the grid.

Is it not common knowledge that by 2012, EU Legislation will require that all car manufacturers produce a range of vehicles with an average CO2 output not exceeding 120 grams p/km?

And isn't it true that F1 Technology is supposed to trickle down into production car technology?

Tesla's current financial situation seems to show that consumers are not yet ready to buy into electric vehicles and the only company that appears to have a clear perspective on where they are headed are BMW, who insist that GREEN technology must enhance both performance and emissions.

What am I getting at? 

Well, in my opinion, F1 Legislation should not limit or standardise performance. Instead, F1 Legislation SHOULD REFLECT REAL-WORLD LEGISLATION, i.e.: an emissions output not exceeding 120 grams of CO2 per km.

Think about it... no power or performance or weight limits... only a limit to emissions and to general basic specification guidelines such as the classic mid-engine, RWD layout, a 3000 mm wheelbase, etc.

I guess that the above could probably sound absurd at first. But wouldn't it force all participants to really innovate? Moreover, wouldn't it really put the necessary perspective on the most important issue of the moment that is GLOBAL WARMING?

C'mon guys, let's make F1 relevant!

 

I'm with a couple of guys on this board. We all know that 'Competition Improves The Breed' so let the manufacturers express their advantages, be it engine power, aerodynamics or racing experience.

You may as well rip up all driver contracts, get them to race in the same car on a Friday afternoon and the order in which they qualify dictates the cars they will spend racing all weekend long.

Is it me or is this just the latest round of juvenile sabre rattling that Max seems to enjoy?

Common sense says that standardisesd engines are a complete non-starter for obvious reasons, so just what is his point? Doe he think that his little games have an effect?

Perhaps he's being taking a leaf out of "Bernies Bumper Bedtime book of British Grand Prix Cancellation Scenarios"

Honestly, it's worse than the playground.

A couple of seasons, maybe longer, without Ferrari might be good for F1 ? Am I the only one who thinks this ?

ordinary bloke:

A couple of seasons, maybe longer, without Ferrari might be good for F1 ? Am I the only one who thinks this ?

 

F1 plus standard engines, minus Ferrari... Hmmm...

No, I don't think you are.

That is an unimaginable scenario. Should Ferrari leave F1, half of the viewing audience is also going to quit F1 altogether. Like it or not, Ferrari is the reason that F1 is so big. It's the most iconic, popular and successful team in the history of motor racing (including F1 of course). Every other team tries to beat Ferrari. Even in their stone age years of the mid 80s to mid 90s Ferrari maintained their iconic status and had by far the most followers. Imagine Ferrari quitting and think of the consequences. Many other constructors would follow suit as the value of the sport would be halved overnight. Many sponsors would also leave and F1 would be no better than GP2. Then Ferrari and the rest would form another single seaters championship and F1 would be in tatters.

Fortunately, this is just a means of appliying pressure to Max. He is going to backtrack on the single supplier rule and they are going to agree on other cost cutting measures instead. Typical F1 power games...

versace:

Is it not common knowledge that by 2012, EU Legislation will require that all car manufacturers produce a range of vehicles with an average CO2 output not exceeding 120 grams p/km?

And isn't it true that F1 Technology is supposed to trickle down into production car technology?

Tesla's current financial situation seems to show that consumers are not yet ready to buy into electric vehicles and the only company that appears to have a clear perspective on where they are headed are BMW, who insist that GREEN technology must enhance both performance and emissions.

What am I getting at? 

Well, in my opinion, F1 Legislation should not limit or standardise performance. Instead, F1 Legislation SHOULD REFLECT REAL-WORLD LEGISLATION, i.e.: an emissions output not exceeding 120 grams of CO2 per km.

Think about it... no power or performance or weight limits... only a limit to emissions and to general basic specification guidelines such as the classic mid-engine, RWD layout, a 3000 mm wheelbase, etc.

I guess that the above could probably sound absurd at first. But wouldn't it force all participants to really innovate? Moreover, wouldn't it really put the necessary perspective on the most important issue of the moment that is GLOBAL WARMING?

C'mon guys, let's make F1 relevant!

 Utter, total, 100%, complete buls**t ! Get a life, for God's sake. CO2 is less than 0.05% of the atmosphere in percentage terms. 95% of that is not produced by humans. Ergo, motoring makes practically no difference to global warming, incremental reductions even less so. Not to mention that there should be some exemptions in life to allow humans to enjoy themselves. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT LIFE !

By the way, in case you hadn't noticed there has been a calamity in the financial markets and we are in recession. Most people would think that is the most pressing issue of the day not the bloody climate.