Ferrari call for engine freeze to be lifted

Ferrari want Formula One to lift the mid-season engine freeze on development.

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

Engine suppliers are limited to only being able to make alterations to engine mapping and software, with any changes to mechanical parts limited to special occasions with advanced permission in the case of reliability, safety or cost.

Since the change in regulations for 2014 with the introduction of the new turbocharged V6 hybrid power-unit era, Mercedes have dominated, either with their own car or with customer teams Williams, McLaren and Force India.

Autosport Magazine compiled a table of engine performance with Mercedes claiming 9 victories to Renault’s 3. Taking all 12 pole positions this season, 10 fastest laps with Renault and Ferrari taking one each, with Mercedes claiming 26 podium finishes in comparison to Renault’s 8 and Ferrari’s 2.

In terms of Grand Prix laps led, Mercedes dominance is even further illustrated with 639 laps led, ahead of Renault’s 71 and Ferrari’s 32.

With Ferrari clearly behind not only Mercedes but Renault as well Ferrari Team principal Marco Mattiacci has called for the engine freeze to be lifted, to improve competition.

‘I would like to see a couple of opportunities [allowed] a year to work on the engine.

‘The DNA of Formula 1 is innovating and catching up with the best and fastest one.

‘That’s what we keep, as Ferrari, insisting, and one of the areas [where this can be done] is engine freezing.’