Indian Grand Prix 2012, New Delhi - Race 17/20

You can swap gearboxes throughout the weekend till quali as well.

I dont believe this is true

You have to use the same gearbox as in the last race unless you have retired from that previous race.

I also understand that each car /team determines before the start of the first race when they are going to swap out gear boxes and this is then fixed.

I have a feeling that each gearbox has to last 5 continuous races (unless a crash /retirement occurs) - I certainly think it was 5 races at one point, although this could have changed now.


Im basing this on a few races ago McLaren announcing before any car had hit the track that JB would require a new g/b and would therefore incur a 5 place grid drop (Im not disputing at all that this has happened to other teams / drivers - Im just suggesting there should be similarities between the rules for swapping out g/b's and engines throughout the season)

Im all for having a fixed number of g/b's and engines for the year (even though this is the pinacle of motorsport lol) - I just dont see why there should be a double penalty (with the grid drop) for having to use an old g/b more times than is desired.



edit - also in relation to this, are the gb designs as "frozen" as much as the engine designs now? Im just wondering if there would be any harm at the beginning of the season (when teams only have fresh gb's) to use the previous season's gb's in practice sessions instead of the current season's allocation?
 
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The constructor should lose points instead. The grid penalty is a joke really.

Why - they already have a penalty by having to use the remaining allocation for that season over more races (ie potentially over-stressing at least one other box)
Surely thats penalty enough
 
There isn't a limit on the number of gearboxes (like there is with engines) though. They would never use a GB for any more than the required amount of race weekends, so there is no 'over stressing'.

Gearboxes are still open in terms of design, for the moment at least. The 2014 regulations are attempting to pint them down a bit so that they are at least consistent within a season.
 
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Q: (Frank Schneider – Bild Zeitung) Question to Fernando and to Seb: Seb, first, is there anything you want from Fernando at the moment; and Fernando is there anything you want to have from Seb at the moment?
SV: Could I...? Ah, no you have a cap. I was just about to say, his cap, but he hasn't... Where did you get that from?
FA: I can give it to you but... I didn't understand the...
SV: I think we are both happy with what we have.

Ends

:/
 
There isn't a limit on the number of gearboxes (like there is with engines) though. They would never use a GB for any more than the required amount of race weekends, so there is no 'over stressing'.
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28.6 For the purposes of this Article only, an Event will be deemed to comprise P3, the qualifying practice session and the race.
a) Each driver may use no more than one gearbox for five consecutive Events in which his team competes. Should a driver use a replacement gearbox he will drop five places on the starting grid at that Event and an additional five places each time a further gearbox is used.


This is the section Im referring to.

It seems strange that they specify 5 events / gearbox - yet admittedly there doesnt appear to be a limit /season (although the car /driver would be hit by lots of grid penalties ).

Does appear strange that there are enforced duration limits /gb (and with pretty tough penalties for breaking the duration) yet there arent fixed number /season - would be far more sensible to have 5 gb's/ season and then tougher penalties for going over (but be able to swap previously used gb's if necessary)
 
Does appear strange that there are enforced duration limits /gb (and with pretty tough penalties for breaking the duration) yet there arent fixed number /season - would be far more sensible to have 5 gb's/ season and then tougher penalties for going over (but be able to swap previously used gb's if necessary)

Agree with that :)
 
The engine rules used to be the same as the current gearbox rules. They had to last a specific number of race weekends.

Its just 2 ways of achieving the same thing, enforcing reliable components by having harsh penalties for failures. The problem with having the limits for a number of components is that you risk ruining the last few races of the season by loading all the penalties at the end. I'd prefer the consecutive race weekends limits. As it spreads any penalties for failures out across the year.
 
I wouldn't let him double down that £3 at those odds though, just in case ;)

Hehehe.

Double down...now there's an idea. :p

Nope. I want to pay up now. El Dazza was taking the bigger risk though, as he gave me very good odds. So he is probably a little relieved that he doesn't have to pay me (rather than winning a small amount).

I've still got a bet with FrankJH, though, so I should still be up ;)
 
The engine rules used to be the same as the current gearbox rules. They had to last a specific number of race weekends.

Its just 2 ways of achieving the same thing, enforcing reliable components by having harsh penalties for failures. The problem with having the limits for a number of components is that you risk ruining the last few races of the season by loading all the penalties at the end. I'd prefer the consecutive race weekends limits. As it spreads any penalties for failures out across the year.

I understand where you are coming from - I just think both rules (for Engines and gb) should be written in the same way

If the limits are achievable - then I dont think there would be too much "loading" at the end of the season.

5 gb's and 8 engines - and being able to swap between them as the teams like during the season , IF the limits are sensible - then its not that much difference than now (apart from swapping and changing when they are allowed to).
Swapping and changing woudl allow for Engine 3 and gb 2 to be used in Brazil for example to avoid the loading at the end of the season
 
I imagine there must have been some reason why the FIA changed the engine rules from continuous weekends to an allocation over the whole year. Maybe that rule will also flter into the gearbox regulations.

From 2014 onwards the gearboxes are going to be almost sealed unit anyway. They may even end up with the engine, turbo, gearbox and all the energy recovery systems being one complete unit, meaning the rules would have to apply to all of them as a single item (limit them to 8 'drivetrains' per season, perhaps?).
 
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