Franz Tost: "I would freeze the power unit from Mercedes"
- Published on 09 Feb 2017 18:33
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost has suggested that Mercedes should freeze their engine development to allow others to catch up and make the field more competitive.
Mercedes have had the most powerful 1.6 V6 Hybrid engine since it's introduction in 2014, leaving Reanult, Ferrari and Honda to play catch up. The FIA confirmed last year that some minor parts of the engine development would be frozen in 2017 such as minimum MGU-K and MGU-H weights.
However Tost believes that the FIA need to go a step further and ban Mercedes from developing their engine altogether.
"I hope that earlier or later there will be a power unit parity because this is not the case currently," Tost told Autosport. "We need Red Bull Mercedes and Ferrari fighting for the championship at least. If the power unit parity is not coming then the FIA should come up with a regulation to freeze it.
"I would freeze the power unit from Mercedes, the others should catch up and then they freeze all of them. I would leave the development of the battery free because the battery is something for the future and it is also something important for the manufacturers."
Price caps have been pondered for a while now, with F1's new owners Liberty Media interested in introducing them. Tost has backed the motive.
"We have to come down with costs," he said. "We have discussed this for years now but nothing happens. I would come in with a cost cap. People say it's not controllable but that's nonsense. At Toro Rosso we have a history about every screw and we can tell you where it's coming from and how much it costs."
Fergal Walsh
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Replies (7)
Login to replyTonyB
Posts: 18
And freeze the aero on Red Bull????
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Such idiotic comments
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
That'd just be silly.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
silly indeed.
Vet5
Posts: 225
Such a stupid thing to even say! I know if i was manager at red bull and we won only because of Mercedes engine freeze i'd feel disappointed! id rather win with a less powerful engine but better chassis to show i had the better car / drivers.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Yeah, I'd feel much better if I won because I had a good car rather than because I impaired an enemy team. But thats the politics of F1 teams for you: instead of making a good car yourself, impair the enemy.
Wolfgang
Posts: 313
i also think that´s rubbish.
Merc has done a better Job in 2012 & 2013 on the new PUs whereas RedBull became 4time world champions..
and to be honest: it´s just a question of time when Renault, Ferrari and Honda have cought up, so the gains are then again made in aerodynamics and on chassis-side.