Ecclestone to propose v8 return

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is set to propose that F1 dumps the new v6 turbo hybrid engines and returns to v8 power.

The change in engine regulations brought about one of the most exciting Formula One seasons to-date, albeit dominated by Mercedes.

The sport also saw an amazing feet of engineering, with the new powerplants using a third less fuel than previous engines, whilst producing more power.

All aspects that the engine manufacturers built the new regulations around as they wanted to be seen as more relevant to road car manufacturing and show technological advancement.

In the build up to this season engine manufacturers spent a great deal of time and investment on developing the new era of v6 turbo-hybrid power-plants, casting aside the old aspirated v8 engines.

This was a long drawn out process, where the likes of Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes invested years of development before the regulations even came into practice.

To prevent spiralling costs following the new engine regulations, an engine freeze was implemented into the regulations.

But after the inaugural season of the v6 turbo-hybrid era, Ferrari and Renault want to see an unfreeze to the current engine regulations as Mercedes hold a competitive advantage.

Currently engine manufacturers are able to make a number of changes between Formula One seasons.

In fact around 92% of the power-unit, including the internal combustion engine and hybrid system is available for alteration.

But to limit overall spending, engine manufacturers are given ‘tokens’ on a seemingly annual basis to spend on changes to their power-plants how they wish, with 32 tokens enabling manufacturers to actually change only 48% of the entire power-unit.

Under the current regulations, after a certain date in the calendar, Formula One engine manufacturers are then not allowed to make any further developments to their engines over the course of the season.

These regulations run through until the end of 2015 and were seen as the only way to limit costs going forward.

The change was needed to keep Formula One at the forefront of technology, something which is in the very DNA of F1.

But something else which is in the very DNA of F1 is competition and politics and that is something that Formula One is now entrenched in.

Mercedes hold the competitive advantage and look set to dominate next season in much of the same way as they have this year, so understandably not everyone is happy.

Due to this an engine war in 2016 has been spoken about, with potential new engine regulations coming into place and Ecclestone is set to propose a backward step in terms of technology to keep the majority happy.

The F1 Strategy Group meets today, with Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams and Force India involved.

The current engine situation and the finances within Formula One are going to be the two points at the top of the agenda.

Ecclestone isn’t prepared to budge on a fairer distribution of the sport’s 900million US dollars revenue streams, so is pushing a change in engines instead.

‘We recognise the biggest problem these teams have is the amount they have to spend on the power unit, I believe if you got everybody in the room, secret ballot, there would only be one company interested in retaining this engine, and that is Mercedes.

‘You can’t blame them because they have done a super job, and the others haven’t, so they’ve a big advantage. Ecclestone told PA Sports.

‘I have been proposing, and am going to propose, at the next meeting we go back to a normally-aspirated engine with some hybrid bits built into it.