Green light for F1 engine penalty tweak
Formula 1's controversial engine-change grid penalty system has been simplified after the World Motor Sport Council approved changes submitted by the Strategy Group.
Penalties for exceeding a driver's engine allocation this year have been declared too harsh by some teams. McLaren's Jenson Button was given a 25-place grid penalty in Austria for modifications and with the grid only 20 strong, he had to take the remainder of the penalty in the form of a drive-through during the race. However, the WMSC approved a proposal that ensures the most a driver can be penalised is to be demoted to back of the grid, thus eliminating in-race penalties for these infractions.
A regulation that will mean an extra power unit per driver is granted for any new manufacturer entering F1 was also approved.
That brings the total to five – one more than the existing power unit suppliers – and will be applied retrospectively to Honda, which returned to F1 with McLaren this year, for the 2015 season.
The changes to the sporting regulations come into force for the next grand prix taking place in Hungary on July 26.
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