Ecclestone still pushing for ‘power unit’ axe

Bernie Ecclestone is continuing to rail against F1’s modern-day engine formula.

The F1 supremo has always been opposed to the turbo V6 ‘power units’, particularly since their mild sound, fuel restrictions and huge cost to struggling small teams became clear.

Alan Kinch, finance director at Williams, told F1 business journalists Christian Sylt and Kate Hewitt this week that moving from V8s to V6s “essentially doubled the costs”, according to The Independent newspaper.

The Strategy Group met at Ecclestone’s Biggin Hill airport facility last Thursday, but the 84-year-old’s push to bring back loud and screaming V8s foundered.

“I want to change many things,” the diminutive Briton told the latest edition of Italy’s Autosprint magazine, published on Tuesday.

“Today we have a formula where the engines are the most important thing.  I do not think that F1 should have engines that are so complicated.

“A friend of mine, who I will not name but who works for a big manufacturer, told me that the technical solutions on the current F1 hybrids will never be used on road cars.

“These engines do not help formula one in any way,” he continued.  “They do not help the show, they do not help the teams to find sponsors and investment.  The teams are having to pay much more for them than they did before.

“Of course it is possible to use different engines (in F1) that are cheaper but with the same performance — but the manufacturers don’t want to,” said Ecclestone.

© RIF | GMM