Different rules for different teams.

[drunkenmaster]

Might not make an awful lot of difference anyway. ultimately I expect Merc/Renault/Ferrari have been working for well, a year on upgrades of which many will be almost certain need asap upgrades. Ultimately if you've worked on major upgrades since the start of last year(and some from before that just weren't ready for the final engine) then most will be developed by now and will simply go in the new engine.

I still think the three teams will use almost all their tokens for the start of the year anyway maybe all holding back say 6 tokens, enough to change two of the more major parts if they are worried about one major part not working or if they see one of the other guys did something insanely good they want to copy, which won't make much difference to Honda then anyway.

They will still have massive problems from lack of running and I think are extremely likely to run into multiple reliability problems throughout the year regardless.

The new interpretation of the rules(pre the Honda change) meant the three teams got to upgrade exactly 0% more of the engine than they were allowed to before, just the timing changed. Now Honda will have an unspecified amount of extra changes allowed... it is 100% bogus and a ludicrous decision.

The three teams have been allowed to bank the changes they were ALREADY ALLOWED, they got no extra tokens at all, why on earth is Honda now getting more tokens at all.

 

[Skeeter]

OK we get it, you don't like it. Now put the keyboard down and step away from the computer.

 

[this_is_gav]

I can't blame Honda for whining and moaning and trying to exploit it but ultimately a single team now has gained the right to make more changes than the rules specified that ALL the teams agreed on.

Lets say Honda now get 15 tokens to change throughout the year, compared to the rules agreed to by Honda, Renault, Merc and Ferrari, Honda have 15 more tokens to develop than they agreed to.. first how is that fair and then, why can't the other teams complain about that being unfair, and ask for the same amount of increased tokens for themselves.


Compared to handing out extra tokens, when you use the tokens you are allowed to use is trivial by comparison. To even up a ridiculously small rule change... you hand out an absurdly massive advantage to one team? Realistically the other teams could have been arguing that Honda were being allowed to develop and entire new engine while they are stuck at 48% changes max, why can't they all just start and do a 100% new engine for this year and all be on a "level" peg.

Absolutely unreal decision. The rules were different because HONDA wanted to get into the new engines late, they got a set of rules and agreed to them, they are pretty lenient and allowed them some major advantages alongside the disadvantages that are a result of their own decision to only start in 2015.

This was a compromise because Honda have to launch straight into the 4 engine per season rules, rather than the 5 engines the other teams had last year (and with 1 less event, so they'd have 1 less engine but need to do an extra 500km).

I assume the other teams have agreed to this (it seems majority decisions on engine development can forced next year, but not this season). There isn't a perfect solution. It isn't possible. In my opinion the sporting options were:

• Honda should have been given 5 engines this season, or
• Honda should be allowed the same level of freedom the other teams have coerced, or
• No changes for everyone after the homologation date, which punishes Honda, or
• As we were a week ago, which punishes Honda

The other teams were aware that there was no date for homologation, and appeared to be basing their development strategy knowing full well that the FIA couldn't enforce a homologation date this season. Equally Honda presumably knew that they wouldn't be allowed to. There's no reason not to expect that the other teams already have a development strategy to take full advantage of this loophole (and probably have had such a timeline since the rules were introduced) yet Honda knew they'd need special dispensation to be allowed to do the same, so may or may not have planned around the rules the other teams were able to. In other words the other teams have undoubtedly planned around this and Honda have likely planned not to, so may not be able to take full advantage anyway.

Yes, it was Honda's decision to enter a year later than the others, but to have a system which consciously punishes new entrants is going to seriously hinder any change that future manufacturers may enter F1.

Sometimes we forget that this is a sport. This is the closest they could get to a fair sporting solution, and the other teams almost certainly agreed.