Two teams deployed a quiet ‘trick’ in Bahrain in order to exploit a loophole in the long-life gearbox rules, a specialist publication claims.<\/p>\n
Williams’ Pastor Maldonado had to move five places back on the grid last Sunday because a fault in his gearbox was discovered after the Chinese grand prix.<\/p>\n
A cost-saving rule in F1 requires gearboxes to last five consecutive grands prix, with unscheduled changes met with the penalty.<\/p>\n
But some gearbox problems “can be simulated for tactical reasons”, read a report in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
So why would a team do that?<\/p>\n
Whilst he was struggling out of the points during the Bahrain grand prix, Williams decided to pull the sister FW34 driven by Bruno Senna out of the race.<\/p>\n
“I started feeling a lot of vibration in the brake pedal,” said the Brazilian, “and the decision was made to pit to avoid risking an accident.”<\/p>\n
But Auto Motor und Sport contends: “His retirement was tactical.”<\/p>\n
The publication said a manufacturing defect was discovered on both Williams cars ahead of the Bahrain weekend, with a fix not set to be in place until Barcelona.<\/p>\n
The loophole in the long-life gearbox rule is that genuine retirements – for whatever reason – are not further penalised on the grid of the next race, even if a gearbox is changed out of sequence.<\/p>\n
McLaren’s Jenson Button also did not see the chequered flag in Bahrain.<\/p>\n
Whilst running in the points a few laps before the end, the Briton had to pit due to puncture, probably caused by a broken and noisy exhaust that was blowing hot gases onto the tyre.<\/p>\n
“A lap later, despite setting a personal best in sector two, Button was back in the pits,” said Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
The official explanation was a differential problem, but Auto Motor und Sport claims the retirement, like Senna’s, was “probably for tactical reasons”.<\/p>\n
“Button was in 13th place, with no hope of breaking into the points.”<\/p>\n
The retirement means he can now take on a fresh gearbox for Barcelona, without penalty.<\/p>\n
This could have an added benefit, journalist Michael Schmidt contends, because McLaren is planning modifications at the rear of the car that require a new gearbox shape.<\/p>\n
Without the tactical retirement in Bahrain, Button would have had to wait until Monaco for the new gearbox.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher took a five-place grid penalty in Bahrain due to Mercedes having to break the seal on his gearbox prior to the race.<\/p>\n
He can therefore have a complete gearbox change for Barcelona, which according to Auto Motor und Sport is an all-new carbon housing design that is lighter, which should improve the W04’s treatment of the Pirelli tyres.<\/p>\n
Teammate Nico Rosberg must wait until Monaco before he can use the new ‘box.<\/p>\n
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