Red Bull RB11 hits the track at Jerez

Red Bull have launched the car with which they plan to fight back this season: the Renault-powered RB11, to be raced by Daniel Ricciardo and new team mate Daniil Kvyat. 

Featuring a striking new test livery for this week’s opening Jerez session, the RB11 features a host of improvements in all areas as the team seeks to improve on their 2014 campaign, when they took the RB10 from a difficult start to second place in the standings.

The most notable shape change to this year’s car is the lower nose box and front of the chassis, which were amended in line with the latest regulations, but beyond that many of the RB11’s updates are under its all-new black and white skin. 

“The design of the RB11 has been very much about understanding what we learned from last season, which was a big regulation change as far as the power unit is concerned and the packaging that goes with that and setting about optimising the car from those lessons,” said Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey.

Chief engineering officer Rob Marshall added: “There are some changes that affect the shape of the front of the car but beyond that most of the changes are under the skin. We’ve identified the areas where we can make improvements and we’ve worked hard on these. There won’t be a lot that’s visible to the naked eye but a lot of hard work has gone into the bits that are hidden.”

A large part of that work has involved improvements to Renault Sport’s Energy F1 power unit, updates that have been made in closer collaboration with the team. 

“Red Bull is the only partner for Renault now, through ourselves and Toro Rosso, and that focus from Renault together with a close involvement with our design team is yielding good results and a far closer integration between the power unit and the chassis side,” said team principal Christian Horner. “Working in unison with Renault we can really make some big steps forward this year.”

Newey added that the process of reducing the deficit the team suffered last year will take time: “We have been working very hard with our partners Renault to help them develop the engine. What we have to remember is that the internal combustion engine and its very complicated associated items, the ERS and turbocharger, are long lead time items. Those are things where if one team takes an advantage then it takes time to overthrow that or get back on a par with or hopefully ahead.”

For drivers Ricciardo, a three-time winner with Red Bull last season, and Kvyat, who joins following a successful rookie season with sister team Toro Rosso, the brief two-month wait for a return to the cockpit is over and a first taste of the RB11’s potential awaits in Spain. 

“I’m looking forward to driving the RB11 and I’m hanging out to get behind the wheel again. I hope it’s going to be a beast. We’ll soon find out,” said Ricciardo. “There was plenty of pressure on me last year to prove myself in a top team and I think everyone knows now what I’m capable of so I’m excited - excited to build on what we achieved in 2014 and ready to give Mercedes a good fight.”

“It’s going to be very exciting to drive an Infiniti Red Bull Racing car for the first time for me,” added Kvyat. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to finally getting into the car. It’s going to be cool.

“Though many people in the team know me quite well, there is still the challenge of entering a new team for myself. However, I haven’t really set any targets for 2015. I just want to keep doing the best job possible with hard work and the right attitude and that’s the best thing I can do.”

On Red Bull’s aims for 2015, Horner concluded: “Our target is simple: to close down the gap to Mercedes yet further. We were the only team other than Mercedes to win a Grand Prix in 2014 and we won three with Daniel Ricciardo.

"Our target is to close the gap down and put Mercedes under as much pressure as we possibly can. We know what we’re aiming at, we know what we need to achieve and I believe that with the RB11, with the drivers we have and with the new structures put in place we should be able to do that.”

Ricciardo will be first to put the RB11 through its paces in Spain on Sunday. The Australian is also due to drive on Tuesday, while Kvyat assumes driving duties on Monday and Wednesday.

source : formula1.com

Ferrari SF15-T revealed

Ferrari have officially unveiled the SF15-T, the car the Italian team hope will return them to winning ways in 2015. 

The new machine, which will be driven by Ferrari’s all-world champion line-up of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, is noticeably different in appearance to last year’s underwhelming F14 T, which became the first Ferrari since 1993 not to score a Grand Prix victory.

“Last year we had an unacceptably large gap in our performance,” technical director James Allison told Ferrari's website. “We’ve tried to make sure that the weaknesses that we felt were particularly noticeable on the ‘14 car were put right for the ‘15 car.”

Like other 2015 cars, the most obvious change from last year is at the front where a long flat nose has been introducued in response to recent rule changes. However, Allison says the rear of the SF15-T received similar attention: “The back of the car is something that is noticeably different from the 2014 car. We have been successful in pulling the bodywork much tighter to all the stuff underneath the skin. That’s been done from a lot of work, not just in the wind tunnel, but also in the design part of the company to try to find radiator designs that were fundamentally more efficient. 

“For every square centimetre of radiator we’re able to extract more cooling this year than last and therefore were able to close the car down at the back as a consequence.”

Another crucial area of development for the Scuderia over the winter was on their power unit, which struggled against the might of Mercedes in 2014.

“We had a number of issues with last year’s power unit,” explained Allison. “Early on in the season the power delivery was not particularly sophisticated so it was tough for the drivers to get the throttle response they wanted. That improved a lot during the season and we’ve taken it a step further for the SF15-T. 

“A definite weakness of last year’s car was that the amount of electrical energy we were able to recover from the turbo was not really good enough for producing competitive power levels during the race. That’s an area where we’ve tried to change the architecture of the engine to make it a better compromise between qualifying and racing performance. 

“And then plain simple horsepower. Enormous amounts of work has gone into all aspects of our combustion efficiency to try to make sure that in this fuel limited formula where every team is only allowed to burn the same amount of fuel, that every single compression stroke, every single ignition stroke is extracting the maximum amount of horsepower and putting it on the road.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, whose appointment as team principal in November was one of a number of key staffing changes at Ferrari over the winter, was full of praise for the new machine.

“Enzo Ferrari said a long time ago that the best car is the winning car. Last year we had an ugly car and it was a non-winning car. I like the car this year in terms of aesthetics. I don’t know about the performance (but) it’s really sexy."

Arrivabene had previously stated that Ferrari’s objective for 2015 should be to win at least two races, and the Italian sees no reason to change that goal.

“I am just realistic,” he said. “Nobody has the magic to change things when things are unchangeable. The car was ready in December and we applied certain modifications that in our opinion are quite interesting. I don’t want to say that we are going to win the world championship but for sure we are committed to win at least two races.

“The work to do is to enhance the team spirit, the passion that was a little bit lost in the past few years and to work together very hard with one objective: to win as much as possible.”

The SF15-T is expected to make its track debut at the start of pre-season testing in Spain this Sunday.

source: formula1.com

F1 : Sauber C34 revealed

The Sauber F1 Team will go into the 2015 FIA Formula One Championship with new drivers Marcus Ericsson (SE, 24) and Felipe Nasr (BR, 22). Raffaele Marciello (IT, 20) has signed as test and reserve driver. The roll-out of the new Sauber C34-Ferrari will take place at the first winter test in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain).

With regard to the 2015 season, team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said: “2014 was a very disappointing year. However, this is in the past, and we now focus on what comes next. We have learned our lessons and are confident for the new season.”

The team principal’s prediction for the new season is short and concise: “We have to improve, and be able to fight for championship points.” For the Sauber F1 Team 2015 is its 23rd season in Formula One; it is the fourth oldest of the current brands.

Monisha Kaltenborn is optimistic about the new driver line-up: “I am delighted about our two new drivers who bring a breath of fresh air. Both are young, talented and highly motivated. On their way to Formula 1 both stood out through victories in Formula BMW and Formula 3. Both then finished this career progression off in the GP2-Series. While Marcus looks back to one season in Formula 1, Felipe will have his rookie year in which he comes fully prepared due to his role as test and reserve driver at Williams last year. I feel confident with regard to our drivers.”

Marcus Ericsson also looks into the future with optimism: “I am pleased about being a member of the Sauber F1 Team. After a difficult season, we want to move forward and fight in the mid-field like the team previously did. From a driver’s point of view, I want to continue to learn and establish myself as a Formula One driver. I have the feeling of being in the perfect environment to do so. In Formula One it is difficult to have precise targets, as it depends on the overall package. It is clear that we want to be fighting for points.”

Felipe Nasr explains: “In my rookie season there is a lot to learn, and especially as I have not yet driven on some circuits yet. In general, I am ready to take on this challenge. In my role as test and reserve driver for Williams last year, I was involved in every race weekend. Furthermore, I also had the chance to drive the car a few times, so I think I have a certain understanding of Formula One. Now I am taking the next step in being a race driver, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience from 2014 as well as to supporting the Sauber F1 Team in getting back into the points.”

Test and reserve driver is Raffaele Marciello who, as well as other series, won the 2013 Formula 3 Championship in an outstanding way. Last year he had two podium finishes and won the main GP 2 race in Spa-Francorchamps.  Raffaele will also have the opportunity to participate in some Friday practice sessions during Grands Prix. Monisha Kaltenborn said: “Raffaele’s previous career is impressive. Therefore it is a logical step for us to give him the opportunity to become more familiar with Formula 1. As a team we are pleased to be there with him on his way to the pinnacle of motorsport.”

Raffaele Marciello explained: “I am really pleased to be a member of the Sauber F1 Team, which has a long tradition of building up excellent drivers. I really think that this is the best choice for my future career. I am also happy to compete for one more season in the GP2 Series, which, together with my new F1 role, will give me a very busy 2015 season. I want to thank the people at the Ferrari Driver Academy who are responsible for giving me this important opportunity, and now I really can’t wait to start delivering my best.”

source: sauberf1team.com

Mercedes W06 2015 F1 car completes shakedown at Silverstone

Mercedes has provided a glimpse of what its new Formula 1 car looks like, after a shakedown at Silverstone on Thursday and released the first proper images of the car

The team elected to run a systems check in Britain before sending it to the first test at Jerez in Spain this weekend, where it will be officially launched on Sunday.

Nico Rosberg was drafted in for driving duties.

Teaser videos posted by the team on Twitter offered the first look at the new car, and it later issued a side-on shot showing the revised livery.

Although the images are not entirely clear, it is possible to ascertain some initial details.

F1 : McLaren MP4-30 revealed

The McLaren MP4-30, the team’s first Honda-powered racing car since 1992, has been pictured for the first time ahead of the 2015 season.

The team are the only one on the grid to use Honda’s new RA615H power unit as the Japanese manufacturer returns to F1 for the first time since 2008.

Together McLaren and Honda won all four constructors’ championships and powered the four drivers’ champions between 1988 and 1991 – a success they intend to replicate.

“I was team principal all those years ago,” said group CEO Ron Dennis, “and while I don’t tend to like looking back to the past our previous record of sustained success was certainly instrumental in creating the confidence to make the decision to partner with Honda again”.

“Now, there’s real hunger to demonstrate the capabilities of the huge talent pool we share between us, and I’m totally committed to driving progress and achieving further success.”

Team principal Eric Boullier, who joined McLaren at the start of last season, said the team is “stronger than ever” following the restructuring which took place last year. “We acknowledge that our journey will require a huge amount of hard work, dedication and application from everyone involved, in both Woking and Sakura,” he said, “but we’re ready and committed to building on the foundations we’ve already established in order eventually to enjoy the results we crave”.

source: f1fanatic.co.uk

F1 : Lotus reveal the E23 hybrid

Lotus have provided a first glimpse of their 2015 challenger, the E23 Hybrid, and predicted it will trigger a vast improvement in their on-track fortunes this year.

The car is the first the team have produced since switching to Mercedes power after scoring just 10 points during the 2014 season when their engines were supplied by Renault.

In its most notable design feature, the E23 has been presented with a conventional nose - a clear departure from the split 'twin tusk' nose of its predecessor.

According to technical chief Nick Chester, the new car “represents a massive step forward for us. It’s no secret that we struggled with last year’s car so we’ve targeted every area that caused us an issue. We’ve made strong progress in the wind tunnel as well as in areas such as packaging and cooling. We expect the E23 to perform far, far better than its predecessor.”

Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado will continue to drive for the team in 2015, with Jolyon Palmer appointed the team's third driver following his GP2 championship win last year.

The Enstone-based team, which has been dogged by financial strife in recent years, are yet to confirm whether they will participate in the upcoming Jerez test, the first of three pre-season meetings this winter. They are, however, confident that they have fixed many of the flaws that bedevilled its predecessor, the under-performing E22.

“In terms of what’s new, obviously a massive change for us is a new Power Unit supplier," said Chester. "We made this change as it looked and looks to be the one area of the car which could bring us the greatest performance gain. It’s not just performance, but reliability and driveability as well as packaging and cooling too.

"We learnt a lot in many areas of the car over the course of 2014 so there are many lessons which have been applied. We know we’ve made a big step. We won’t know how our car will fare in relative terms until we’re out in action at a Grand Prix, but we certainly expect to be much more competitive than last year.”

Source: Sky Sports F1

Force India pulls the wraps off its new-look livery

Sahara Force India has unveiled its striking new livery for the 2015 F1 World Championship season during a ceremony in Mexico City. 

Force India didn't use the event to officially reveal its definitive 2015 F1 contender, the VJM08, the Indian team pulled the wraps off a new design, which will see the familiar black and orange livery interspersed with a silver colour scheme that replaces former white and green appearance. 

The updated look is in contrast to an otherwise familiar team, which will retain the driving services of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez for the 2015 season. 

“It's another evolution of the contemporary look we introduced last year, which reflects the growth of the team and the global brands with which we are working" said team manager Vijay Mallya. 

"I love the addition of silver, which makes the car appear more sleek and aggressive and I'm sure it's something that will appeal to the fans as well. Our traditional team colours remain integrated in the livery, but we've given it a very modern twist.” 

The livery was revealed at Mexico City's Museo Soumaya to help promote the revived Mexican Grand Prix, which will be held at the updated Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit on November 1st. New backers for the team include NEC, which moves over from Sauber, as well as existing deals with Telcel, Claro, Smirnoff and Kingfisher.

However, despite being one of the first to launch its 2015 F1 campaign, Force India will be one of the last to run its car having announced its new Mercedes-powered VJM08 won't get its track debut until the second F1 test in Barcelona in February. 

An upgraded version of the existing VJM07 will instead run at the Jerez test, which begins on 1st February. 

Force India finished the 2014 F1 World Championship with sixth place in the constructors' standings after losing out in a season-long battle with McLaren.

source: www.crash.net

Williams Martini Racing launches first images of 2015 car

WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING has revealed the first images of its 2015 car, the Williams Mercedes FW37 on the front cover of Haymarket’s F1 Racing Magazine. Following on from a successful season in 2014 Williams hopes the FW37 can continue the positive momentum into another competitive season of racing.

‘The notion for the FW37 was to look closely at the FW36 and its performances,’ says WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds. ‘We then went about recognising what had worked well and identifying and resolving the areas that we felt needed to be improved. Although the aerodynamics of the car were impressive there is always room for improvement particularly as we handle the new 2015 nose regulations ’

The design of the FW37 has stemmed from the performance of the FW36 but the conceptual ideas came long before the 2014 successes.

‘The first conceptual stage of the FW37 came before the FW36 had turned a wheel. The main element to this is understanding the rule changes and how they will affect the design of the car, from here we can start see if our ideas will fit within the regulations.’

The performance of the FW36 in 2014 saw the team move forward from ninth in the Constructors’ Championship to third, obtaining nine podiums throughout the season and a front row lockout at the Austrian Grand Prix.

‘The desire to beat Ferrari to third place in the Constructors’ in 2014 meant we pushed our development through to late autumn, but the size of the team is now at a point where it was able to sustain this development whilst still working on the FW37.’

With the regulations relatively stable from 2014 the team went about developing the FW36 with the additional changes necessary to meet the 2015 rules.

‘We felt we came up against design barriers in the FW36 and so took the opportunity to remove those barriers for the benefit of the performance. The FW36 carried a reasonable amount of ballast, so we were able to make alterations to the design for added performance without the fear of adding excessive mass.’ 

The layout phase of the car was completed by the summer break in August, with work on the new front bulkhead a main priority for the designers and aerodynamicists as the changes to the regulations had their effects on the car.

‘The change in regulations offered us a slight headache. The new front bulkhead and nose geometry had much more of an impact than we had initially anticipated and the effect on the aero was profound. The team have worked hard on pulling back the deficit these regulations have made for us.’

After a strong 2014 the team has aims to continue improving in pursuit of podium finishes throughout the 2015 season.

‘The more rule stability there is, the closer the field gets. I hope as a team we are more capable of maintaining the forward momentum to catch Mercedes, than the teams behind us are of catching us. It’s not just about stable regulations but also about the team and every individual that works here moving forward and improving.’

Frank Williams, Team Principal concluded ‘The team had a fantastic season last year, we are aiming to replicate this development over the winter and to start the 2015 season in a strong position. We have an enormously talented group of people here at Williams who want nothing more than the team to do well. This passion produced a great turn around in fortunes for the team in 2014 and everybody has worked tirelessly to continue that climb up the grid.’

‘We have added a few more high profile names to accompany the incredibly supportive group of partners we have,’ Frank Williams added. ‘After a very strong first year with Mercedes we are looking to further develop the relationship as we look for more podiums in 2015. I feel this year will be equally as exciting as the last and look forward to seeing the car on the grid at the first race.’

Source : www.williamsf1.com

F1 : First picture of a 2015 F1 car appears

A rendering of the Williams FW37 is to be published on the cover of a magazine.

The FW37, which was fired up for the first time today by the team at their factory, appears on the front cover of the new issue of F1 Racing magazine. An image of the cover appeared on Twitter ahead of its publication.

The radically shortened nose tip, designed to comply with the revised 2015 regulations on nose shape is among a few notable changes to the FW37.

The car also features the logos of new Williams sponsors Rexona and Hackett.

F1 : Force India will not test 2015 car at Jerez

Force India will be the first team to launch the 2015 F1 car VJM08, but the car will be the last one to hit the test tracks. The VJM08 will be make its track debut in the second test at Barcelona.

Force India will instead test a 2014 car at Jerez.

The new Mercedes-powered VJM08 will not actually be up-and-running when the other eight teams kick off the official winter test period at Jerez on 1 February. Force India will therefore reportedly delay the track debut of the 2015 car until the second test later in February, in Barcelona.

F1 : Mercedes to unveil 2015 car at Jerez

Mercedes will reveal their 2015 Formula One car on the first day of pre-season testing at Jerez on February 1.

The 2014 drivers' and constructors' double winners, will unveil the F1 W06 Hybrid before track action commences at the Spanish circuit. 

Nico Rosberg will test the F1 W06 Hybrid on the first and third day of the test, while 2014 champion Lewis Hamilton will take care of the driving duties on the second and fourth days.

Mercedes had a very successful 2014 season with their F1 W05 Hybrid. The F1 W05 Hybrid proved to be one of the most dominant machines in F1 history, racking up a record 16 victories and 11 one-two finishes over the course of the season.

McLaren denies pre-jerez run for 2015 car

McLaren has denied reports it will run its Honda-powered 2015 Formula 1 car a few days before its launch and official test debut.

Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo claimed that, following news the MP4-30 will be launched on 29 January, the car will actually clock up some laps beforehand.

“A few days before [the launch], the car will run at Silverstone for a shakedown and to shoot a promotional film,” the report added. “It is hoped the software problems of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi have been solved.”

But a McLaren spokesman told us: “We are not planning to run the MP4-30 before the Jerez test.”

El Mundo also claimed McLaren is likely to enter a second consecutive season without a title sponsor, given that talks with the Spanish mobile operator Movistar are not promising.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Sauber is likely to launch its 2015 car in a simple pitlane unveiling ceremony ahead of the Jerez test.


*Source-grandprix247.com

McLaren-Honda to launch F1 car on 29th January

The Honda-powered 2015 F1 car will be launched on 29th January while Ferrari will launch their car on 30th January.

McLaren and Ferrari have both confirmed that they will launch their 2015 cars online prior to the start of winter testing at Jerez on February 1.

The two teams have respectively announced January 29 and January 30 as the dates of the unveils, although there is no confirmation as to whether the cars will be shaken down at filming days prior to the Jerez test.

Force India had already confirmed that it will launch its 2015 livery in Mexico City on January 21.

F1 : Ferrari to stick with pull rod in 2015

Image shows the push rod suspension in the F150 (2011) & pull rod suspension in the F2012 (2012)

Ferrari is sticking with its unique pull-rod front suspension layout for a fourth consecutive season

Ferrari has been using the pull rod suspension since 2012, which had not previously been seen at the front of a F1 car since Minardi in 2001.

A pullrod layout can mean a lower nose, suspension and centre of gravity, but it is also known to be difficult to tune and less responsive to setup changes.

There are two main disadvantages to front pull-rod suspension. One is that the the upper wishbone must transmit more load, some of which would otherwise have been carried by the push-rod. 

The second disadvantage is it takes longer tune a pull-rod. This is important given the limited testing time in F1 today. Teams need to rapidly tune spring and damper settings and if the components are hidden away this is trickier and potentially reduces valuable track time.

Raikkonen had a season to forget last year and had been constantly complaining about the lack of precision at the front, which is a characteristic of pull rod suspension.

Caterham and Marussia to say goodbye to F1?

Both Marussia & Caterham have got very less time if they are to take any part in 2015

With just 26 days until the winter test season begins in Spain, neither of the two have committed to running at Jerez at the start of February.

“Talks with interested parties continue,” Caterham administrator Henry Shinners told the BBC, “but if a buyer is not found before the test, we will not put up the money to go.”

The team has arranged to be allowed to run its 2014 car and engine this year, but Shinners warned that any rescue deal would need to be in place within a “few weeks”.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out,” he said, “but if we reach the first race in the same position, the chances of saving the team are virtually nil.”

Marussia, whose crucial team equipment has been auctioned in a bid to pay back creditors, staff are laid off and even the Banbury headquarters could be sold to the new American 2016 team Haas are in an even worse situation.

Their only hope now is that an eleventh-hour investor might step in so that millions in official prize-money for finishing the 2014 season in ninth place can be unlocked.

“There’s still a slim hope,” team boss John Booth told the Yorkshire Post, “but it’s getting extremely late. We’ve got two weeks to complete something by. So there’s still a chance. We are talking to investors and they are positive talks.”

F1 : FIA super licence 'points system' for 2016

Max Verstappen is just 17 years old and doesn't have a normal road car licence

FIA has devised a points system as part of its clampdown on the ease of achieving an F1 super licence

From 2016, F1 drivers will need to be at least 18, hold a valid road driving licence, and have a minimum level of experience and success in minor formula championships.

Only the champion in Euro F3, LPM1 in WEC and IndyCar would obtain the 40 points necessary to qualify for a 2016 super licence, it has emerged.

Verstappen finished a highly-credible third in last year's FIA European F3 championship, that would have earned him only 20 points under the new super licence system devised by the FIA for 2016. 

Verstappen legitimately holds a F1 licence despite not qualifying to drive even a normal road car.

Future GP3 champions, on the other hand, will score only 30 of the 40 points, as will title winners in Formula Renault 3.5, like Verstappen's 2015 Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz jr.

GP2 champions and his title runner-up, however, will score 50 and 40 points respectively, while the highest number of points attainable from 2016, 60 will be in the FIA's relaunched Formula 2 series.

Interestingly, the top three finishers in F2 will all qualify for a 2016 super licence, even though any applicant will need to have spent at least two years in the categories leading into F1.

Force India to launch 2015 F1 car on January 21

Force India have become the first team to set a formal date for the launch of their new car. After weeks of vague timelines being given by most of the teams for the launches of their new car, Force India have become the first to set a date in stone. January 21 will see the new VJM08 revealed by drivers Nico Hulkenberg & Sergio Perez.
The launch was set to take place ‘somewhere in Mexico’, and that somewhere has been revealed as Souyama Museum in Mexico City.
Mexico has risen to prominence again in Formula 1 in the last few seasons, as drivers such as Perez & Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez have made a name for themselves, while 2015 sees a return to the South American country’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexican GP at the start of November.
Most teams are expected to launch immediately prior to running during testing, around January 31/February 1st, but other dates being speculated are a Ferrari launch on January 24th, and a Toro Rosso launch on January 31.

F1 : FIA admits loophole, allows in-season engine development

 It appears that rather than 2014, where the dates were set and power unit homologations locked in, there is room for development in-season. The FIA has, in a note sent by the FIA’s Charlie Whiting to teams, admitted a rules loophole that allows for this to occur.

Teams can perform in-season power unit developments as long as they stick to the 32 development token limit outlined in the rules and do not exceed the four-engine per car limit for the season. It’s not explicitly stated within the rules that no engine work can be done.

This should, in theory, come as a blow to Mercedes, which has held firm on the engine freeze aspect for what could be further dominance as was delivered in the entirety of the 2014 season.

Renault and Ferrari could now have a fighting chance, and it was Ferrari’s technical director, James Allison, who brought up the issue during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.

Honda, however, is being treated as a new manufacturer and thus must have its 2015 unit homologated and locked in by February 28