Engine manufacturers will be allowed more freedom to develop their F1 power units until the 2019 season.
Following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council [WMSC] in Paris on Wednesday a change to the token system was ratified. Manufacturers will have more tokens to use over the next four seasons than had been originally planned when the regulations were introduced in 2014, theoretically providing the likes of Renault and Honda with a better chance of closing the gap to Mercedes.
With in-season development allowed, power unit manufacturers will once again be allowed 32 development tokens in 2016, with the number decreasing year-on-year until 2019 as follows:
- 2016 – 32
- 2017 – 25
- 2018 – 20
- 2019 – 15
Originally the regulations only allowed 25 development tokens to be spent ahead of the 2016 season, with manufacturers having to homologate their power units by the end of February next year.
Any new power unit manufacturer will be allowed 15 tokens to spend on in-season development in their first year in F1, with that number increased to 32 tokens for their second year.
Honda entered the sport at the start of this year and was given nine tokens for development after the FIA worked out the average remaining tokens of the other three power unit manufacturers.
The MP4-X: McLaren unveils radical F1 concept car design
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Quotes of the weekend
Use the red tabs on either side of the screen to scroll through more Formula One news and features
Click here for exclusive pictures of the Ferrari power unit
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
