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Rules on F1 engine vs gearbox life


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#1 RogerGraham

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Posted 31 October 2014 - 04:16

Hi all, I can't find a topic that discusses this point.

 

Does anyone know why the teams are allowed 5 sets of PU components during the year, which they can mix and match as they please, whereas gearboxes must last six consecutive races?  That seems like a silly, arbitrary distinction that unfairly impacts drivers who just happen to be unlucky as to when their gearboxes fail.



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#2 GrumpyYoungMan

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Posted 31 October 2014 - 11:47

I've often wonder that too, why it has to be consecutive races... especially now as they are fixed ratios?

 

Just a thought could be to stop different weight casings?


Edited by GrumpyYoungMan, 31 October 2014 - 11:47.


#3 Kraken

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Posted 31 October 2014 - 14:09

Gearboxes are much more proven components than the brand new power units so it makes sense that the rules for their life would be stricter.



#4 GrumpyYoungMan

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Posted 31 October 2014 - 14:19

Gearboxes are much more proven components than the brand new power units so it makes sense that the rules for their life would be stricter.

That may work if there was no engine life limit...



#5 Exb

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Posted 31 October 2014 - 14:33

Interesting thread.

Don't think I can answer the question but another difference between the 2 is that they only have 5 engines per season to inculde Friday practices but the gear boxes that have to last 6 races don't need to be used on the Friday. (I have no idea why though).

 

Also I guess engine performance differs on the age of the engine (a fresh engine being more powerful than one towards the end of its life) and some tracks are more reliant on power than others so the teams swop them around depending on track characteristics and age of parts. In my extremely limited understanding of mechanical things I would have thought the performance of a gear-box would not change? it either works or it doesn't (although as it nears the end of its life I guess its more likely to go wrong)

 

One thing I don't understand about the gearbox rule is that if a driver has to change a gear-box before the 6 races are up and so takes a penalty and then puts in a brand new gear-box, why does that gearbox not have to last 6 races? (they are then able to change it again at the next race)



#6 RogerGraham

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Posted 07 November 2014 - 15:20

Thanks all.

 

I don't see that them being "proven components" should make any difference; who cares if the units are shuffled around, with maybe some being used for more than 6 races if an earlier one fails, so long as they only use 6 for the whole year?  And why penalise a driver so severely for something completely out of his control?  

It's a bit strange that no reasons given (so far as I know) for all the rules in the rulebooks.  Maybe the powers that be don't really know themselves why they writer some these rules; one example being the farce around the double-points rule, and Toto now saying it's a silly rule that he agreed to...