Hot on the heels of Honda’s F1 exit due to financial concerns comes news of Cosworth’s exclusive tender deal to supply Formula One engines from 2010. Cosworth, of course, has a rich F1 heritage (YouTube clip above showing an old Williams engine revving to 20,000rpm is just a small example).
With this new tender deal the potential exists for all F1 teams to run Cosworth engines. However, if they choose, teams can still run their own engines, albeit with restrictions.
From 2010 any team, let’s say Ferrari, for example, can choose one of three options. The first is to simply run a supplied Cosworth engine—unlikely. Second, Ferrari could build their own new engine to Cosworth’s specification, with technical information supplied—unlikely. The third, and most likely scenario, would be that Ferrari continues to use their current engine with the freeze on technical development in place. Such moves may be necessary to bring costs down, but in 2010 a little piece of F1 will die.
Regardless of the engine choice each team makes, all teams must use a standard gearbox—a joint effort built by Xtrac and Ricardo transmissions.
The FIA is hoping to sign a minimum of four teams to run Cosworth engines by as soon as Thursday next week (11 December).
The FIA itself has described current Formula One spending as “unsustainable” and these moves are clearly designed to lower running costs, from P1 right through to the back of the field. And while the Cosworth deal may be a boost to the Northampton job market, the question must be asked: will F1 continue to be the world’s premier series for technical development and innovation?
Max Mosley’s letter to F1 teams explaining the engine and transmission deal is shown below.
PRESS RELEASE
The announcement of Honda’s intended withdrawal from Formula One has confirmed the FIA’s longstanding concern that the cost of competing in the World Championship is unsustainable.
In the FIA’s view, the global economic downturn has only exacerbated an already critical situation.
As the guardians of the sport, the FIA is committed to working with the commercial rights holder and the remaining members of FOTA to ensure that Formula One becomes financially sustainable.
The FIA President has today sent the attached letter to all of the Formula One teams:
Further to my letter of 18 November, we have completed the tendering process and are now in exclusive negotiations with Cosworth together with Xtrac and Ricardo Transmissions to supply a complete Formula One power train starting in 2010.
The engine will be a current Formula One engine while the transmission will be state of the art Formula One and a joint effort by two companies which already supply transmissions to most of the grid.
The cost to each team taking up this option will be an up front payment of €1.97 million Euros and then €6.42 million Euros per season for each of the three years of the supply contract.
This price is based on four teams signing up and includes full technical support at all races and official tests, plus 30,000 km of testing.
The annual cost will reduce if more teams take up the option, for example to €5.84 million Euro per team with eight teams. It will further reduce if less than 30,000 km of testing is required. Neither engine nor transmission will be badged.
As suggested in my letter of 18 November, teams participating in the 2010 Championship would then have three options:
- The above.
- The right to build an engine themselves, identical to the above, having been supplied with all the necessary technical information.
- The right to continue to use their existing engine, with the current ban on development and requirement for engine parity still in place.
Teams opting for one of the latter two options would nevertheless use the XR transmission.
In combination with the programme of cost reductions for the chassis, race weekend and team home base outlined in my letter of 18 November, these arrangements have a number of advantages. These include:
- Enabling the independent teams to survive in the current difficult economic climate.
- Facilitating the replacement of a manufacturer team if we suffer additional losses.
- Stabilising Formula One while new road relevant technologies are introduced together with a state of the art high tech engine, which could be in Formula One as early as 2013 should the car industry by then be in a position to fund its development.
- Avoiding any change to the Formula One spectacle and keeping the technology at current levels.
These arrangements are on the basis that at least four teams enter into contracts to use the power train described above, and do so no later than close of business on Thursday 11 December 2008.
In the event of fewer than four teams signing up, the FIA may still proceed but the price on offer will vary. The supply contracts will be with Cosworth but in the first instance teams are requested to make their intentions known to my office.
Yours sincerely,
Max Mosley
[end release]
Source: autoblog