Lauda blasts 2018 engine rule change

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In light of Formula 1's controversial grid penalty system, Mercedes' Niki Lauda believes next year's rule which will further limit engine usage is a big mistake.

In 2018, Formula 1 will bring down the number of power units a driver can use over the course of a season from 4 to just 3, a move which Red Bull's Christian Horner has highly criticised, believing it will only exacerbate the ridiculous effects of F1's grid penalty system.

Lauda agrees that the scheduled change from 4 to 3 engines is "a mistake by F1's Strategy Group".

"Everyone said that the engines could only be cheaper for customers if we build less," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"But we have known for a long time now that nothing will be saved with the 3 engines," Lauda added.

"Because the development on the test stands actually costs more."

Horner urges Strategy Group to reconsider grid penalty rules

Formula 1 chief executive officer Chase Carey has also taken aim at the contentious penalty system.

"The penalty structure clearly has gotten to a place that nobody says is functioning the way we like," he is quoted by AFP news agency in Singapore.

"Then we had the better part or half the grid with some sort of penalty that nobody could understand at Monza.

"Technology is an important part of it but you don't want it to be a sport about engineering first and foremost," Carey added.

"You want it to be a sport about drivers and great competition that utilises state of the art competition."

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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.