engine rule

[billiaml]

Minardi will be making an announcement sometime within the next month or so regarding their engine supplier for next year. And one of the rumored possibilities is Cosworth -- and Jordan has also been named as possibly using Cosworth power next year, too. BUT, Nikki Lauda has said that Cosworth will only supply 2 teams -- Jaguar and 1 other. Assuming Arrows is also using Cosworth next year (and, considering the way things have gone these last couple weeks, that's not completely guaranteed), there's a potential for 4 interested customers.

I seem to recall something about a proposed or upcoming rule regarding the number of engines that a team can use in a given weekend. However I can't remember whether a) it was actually a rule or simply a proposal and b) what's the rule?

Because, if that is the case, Cosworth could find itself with excess capacity -- and supplying 4 teams could be a more viable option than it is now.

[BootsOntheSide]

I think the proposal was to make all engine suppliers have to be able to supply at least 2 teams, if the demand was there. Which would mean that Lauda only has to supply 1 other team, but there's no upper limit, so if he feels that they have the capacity to supply engines to 4 teams, they can do that (though frankly I think he'd be crazy)

[MiniMe]

Asiatech was making noise about entering F1 as a complete team, though I reckon they have more apprenticeship yet to serve. Plus, the privateers HAVE to get in bed with the engine suppliers, otherwise go bust.

Stoddart has to realise that Minardi's main problem is engine technology, so he either demands Asiatech gets more power or find the money for another supplier.

Maybe Flavio will trade an engine for a testing spot for another of his protege's

[Lee Janotta]

Ford needs to separate the Rat from having any control over who Cosworth does or doesn't supply. They've always been there for the rest of the grid before. Teams absolutely depend on having access to at least a passably competitive engine at an acceptable price, and since their involvement began, that's meant going to Cosworth.

And let's be totally honest, Ford's got a _much_ better chance of a car winning a championship with the blue oval on the airbox if it's a Jordan than a Jaguar.

[billiaml]

I agree with u on both counts. The rat should stick to being the team principal & let someone else take care of Cosworth.

Asiatech definitely needs to take some lessons from what Ford has done these past couple years. Even tho Renault has had a measure of success so far, doing both the engine & chassis isn't as easy as it looks.

The proposed engine rule that I was thinking about was more of a cost-saving measure similar to what they're doing in NASCAR by limiting teams to 1 engine per weekend as opposed to using 1 engine for practice, another for qualifying and a third for the race. Or maybe it was just that, after NASCAR announced their rule, a debate started as to whether or not F1 should do it as well.