Cosworth defends V8/V10 engine rules
Cosworth has defended the controversial engine ‘equivalency formula’ aimed at equalising the performance of V8 and V10 engines in Formula 1.
With teams allowed to run in either configuration this year, the FIA has sought to peg back the 3-litre V10s to the same power levels as the new breed of 2.4-litre V8s by means of an air restrictor and an rpm limit.
Although only Scuderia Toro Rosso has opted to run detuned V10s, rival teams have complained that the existing restrictions do not gar far enough and give the Italian outfit an unfair power advantage.
But Cosworth, which is supplying V10s to Toro Rosso and V8s to Williams, insists that the current formula is based on the best available evidence.
“The equivalency rule causes a lot of fluttering in the F1 pit lane, there is no doubt about that,” said Cosworth CEO Tim Routsis.
“Essentially, it is there for the next two years if Toro Rosso want to take up the option.
“We were asked by the FIA to propose some equivalency rules, and obviously the data we had was the comparison between our own V8 and our own V10, and we put forward a set of suggestions regarding what we thought would be a lap time equivalency taken across the season.
“Equivalency is a difficult thing to define, and we have tried to take it on lap times across the season.
“You cannot just pick power; there are too many differences between the engines - weight, torque, fuel consumption.
“So quite a lot of work was put in to try and come up with that equivalency, and we still see no reason to change the numbers that are being put forward.
“I know a lot of other people are looking at how their V10 would perform against those parameters and measured up against what their V8 could do, and that has caused some teeth-sucking.
“But I don’t see anybody else running a V10 at the moment, so I think it will be a moot point.”
Routsis said the only means Cosworth has of judging whether the equivalency formula is pitched at the right level is a comparison between the performance of its own restricted V10 and its own V8.
“The conversations we’ve had with the FIA are very straight forward,” he said.
“We have made it very clear that taking all the factors as being equal, a car with our V8 should finish ahead of a car with our restricted V10.
“Where that will put everyone else in the pecking order, is outside the conversation we had.
“It will be interesting to see how it pans out, but my expectation is that the rules will stay pretty much as they are at the moment in terms of where the equivalency figures are.”
The FIA has made it clear that it will change the rules at 24 hours’ notice if it emerges that the V10s do, indeed, have an advantage.
Routsis confirmed that, in those circumstances, Cosworth could make the necessary changes overnight.
“Yes – we have to,” he said.
Hair like a sheep. *Well..goat may be more accurate - he's a Scot...
* I'm sure I've got a picture of him like that somewhere... *goes a searchin...*
