Grid change problems due to power / engine unit swaps in F1 created a lot of chaos on the starting grids of the Belgian and Italian Grand Prix.
Especially in last weekend’s race in Monza, nine drivers were penalized for the replacement of engine components, extra gearboxes and various other reasons.
However, after Saturday’s qualifying, fans and teams remained in the dark for nearly four hours to be completely sure how FI (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) A would implement each driver’s penalties and structure the grid. Neglected, the issue has caused considerable controversy.
The situation has also sparked new demands for a complete rethink that F1 needs a better system than simple engine shift grid breaks.
But Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff, who had to start from nineteenth on the grid with a new powertrain after Lewis Hamilton suffered damage to his new engine in Belgium, said he would rather have dealt with the situation. it’s a better way.
“We have to remember why it’s there,” Wolff said of the engine penalty system.
“On the chassis side, the cost is limited, which was not the case before. On the engine side, there is still no cap.”
“Without penalties on the grid we would have had qualifying engines. We would have had 20 instead of 5! Big teams and OEMs can spend as much as they want to get an advantage.”
“That’s why you need certain factors to limit and avoid it. That’s what got us to where we are now. But isn’t it too complicated? It sure could be.”
A simple docking of the constructors’ championship points in conjunction with the engine change has been suggested as a way to keep the current grid, but Wolff is skeptical that it will work.
Toto Wolff is on the road to launching more powerful engines at every race, completely sacrificing the constructors’ championship to help the drivers win the title if the team starts losing points.
“One of the downsides is that the drivers’ championship is important. We put the engines in the cars and we get a lot of penalties from the manufacturers, but the drivers have a new power unit every race, so it’s about being able to win a driver and a championship.”
However, Toto Wolff admits that the excessive engine changes F1 teams have been forced to make this year are enough to argue whether the current limit of three major components per driver is too low.
“I think we have to reconsider when the engine cap goes into effect, and then any excessive grid penalties will go away. However, we don’t want to do an arms race on engines.”
“Whatever freedom you give us, we’ll do it and we’ll do it more strategically because it’s five grids or 10 grids or so.”
“It will be a tenth of a second faster than the last race, so it will blow the engine every race, so we need a certain amount of deterrence.”
