F1 Strategy Group could scrap three-engine rule for 2018

Formula 1 could do away with a tweak to the sport's engine regulations scheduled for introduction next season.

Currently, drivers are limited to four engines for the entire 2017 season, an allocation which is set to drop to just three engines next year.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the Strategy Group is set to discuss the future of the 'three engines for 2018' rule during a meeting on Monday.

The drop from 4 engines to 3 engines next year was initially designed to cut costs. But several F1 teams are now arguing that costs will in fact not go down.

Manufacturers will have to re-design engines so that they are more reliable, and there could also be a performance trade-off with less power and weight.

"Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda have concluded that longer running life (for engines) means more development and more test cycles on the test bench," wrote correspondent Michael Schmidt.

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A Mercedes official confirmed: "It's going to cost a lot of money."

So the Strategy Group will reportedly propose that the drop from 4 to 3 engines be scrapped, but the EUR 5 million price-reduction to customer teams be passed on anyway.

"That way, everybody wins," said Schmidt.

"For the private teams, the engine costs are reduced, while the manufacturers do not have to reinvent their power units."

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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.