As the 2014 Formula 1 season heated up and Mercedes’ dominance became clear, attention from the other teams turned toward engine development regulations. It was thought [assumed] that the regulations froze engine development for the 2015 season, locking Mercedes into a position of power and relegating the other teams to playing catch-up. This situation could have played to Honda’s favor despite their recent calls for unfreezing engine development as well, citing the need for competition. In an interesting turn of events over the past two weeks it has come to light at the F1 Strategy Group meetings that despite the FIA’s intent to include language for an engine freeze in the sporting regulations that detail did not make the final cut. What is, however, in the regulations is language prohibiting new teams from engine development in their first year – in 2015 that is Honda. It will be very interesting to see what the existing engine suppliers Ferrari and Renault who were behind the increasing drumbeat of, ‘competition [development] is essential to the sport’ over the past few months will have to say now that they have newfound development freedoms and Honda is seemingly left out in the cold. We can almost certainly count on pushback from Eric Boullier and the crew at McLaren-Honda before the February 28th deadline. In the meantime, head over to http://www.racer.com/f1/item/112145-fia-allows-2015-f1-engine-upgrades for the full story and discuss here on ToV Motorsports.
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