Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFormula 1

Ecclestone still at odds with engine formula

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At last week's Strategy Group meeting, Formula 1's team chiefs agreed to remain with hybrid engine technology in the future, but Bernie Ecclestone still dislikes the idea.

F1's supremo, who has long opposed the current engine format because it is expensive and too quiet, submitted the idea of having a dual power unit regulation, but the idea was quickly rejected by the sport's manufacturers.

Ecclestone's view is that F1's V6 hybrid formula is simply too complex, and that the technology is also not road car relevant.

"Today we have a formula where the engines are the most important thing," the 84-year-old told Italy's Autosprint. "I do not think that F1 should have engines that are so complicated. A friend of mine, who I will not name but who works for a big manufacturer, told me that the technical solutions on the current F1 hybrids will never be used on road cars."

Ecclestone considers that alternative solutions exist, which involve less investment for an equal performance, but that F1's manufacturers are against any change.

"These engines do not help Formula 1 in any way. They do not help the show, they do not help the teams to find sponsors and investment. The teams are having to pay much more for them than they did before. Of course it is possible to use different engines that are cheaper but with the same performance, but the manufacturers don't want to."

Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell disputed Ecclestone's claims regarding hybrid technology's merits for road cars, underlining how it will induce fuel economy and efficiency for the average road car.

"People strive to make road-car engines more thermally efficient, so the fuel economy number comes down to match in with regulations for the EU and worldwide," Cowell commented to the BBC. "In the road-car world we don't need the amount of power we have in F1. So the power level will be smaller but the schematic of the power unit will be exactly the same."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.