The engine rules for 2018, not to mention the introduction of the halo device, leave world champion Lewis Hamilton less than impressed as he compares the cars to NASCAR.

Next season not only sees the introduction of the Halo device, a move which has already split fans and drivers alike, but the engine allowance reduced from four to three.

The engine component and gearbox penalties dished out to Stroll, Ericsson, Ricciardo, Gasly and Hartley at the weekend brought the season total of grid places forfeited up to 820.

However, this figure could be dwarfed next season when, in a bid to cut costs, the allowance is reduced from four to three, a move that will no doubt send shivers through Faenza.

Lewis Hamilton is aghast at the thought.

"I don't like the idea of going to three," he said, according to the BBC. "That sucks. Sprinting is what we are missing in F1."

Indeed, the need for additional engine management, not to mention the increased weight of the cars in view of the Halo device, has the Briton concerned.

"The car is going to be a bus next year, it is going to be so heavy, like a NASCAR," he said, the American series clearly the new norm when describing all that is wrong with F1.

"The braking distances get longer, the brakes are always on fire, on the limit," he sighed. "I know it sounds negative but as a racer we want fast, nimble cars where we can attack always every single lap. Unfortunately that is not what we generally have. I had that today but I was coming from a different place. If you look at the front guys, they were managing and that is what we are normally doing.

"I don't think that is too exciting for people to watch," he admitted. "If you look at the most exciting races, particularly when it rains, we don't have those limitations. I'm not sure cutting down engines is helping it in that direction."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by 4-Wheel Drifter, 19/11/2017 18:12

"Lewis is correct that drivers, teams, and genuine fans want racing and that means finding the nimblest, quickest and most reliable machine and putting the best driver in it. This is expensive. Whether manufacturers and promoters consider the cost/benefit calculation to be more important than winning, there's no doubt that plenty of people believe that if it really IS motorsport, cost is NOT an issue. What Liberty believes will emerge from what they DO not what they say. If they think they can continue to charge circuits and fans for the priviledge of watching a bunch of NASCAR drones roll around while negotiating a pile of ridiculous 'rules' designed to promote 'more exciting, that is, more ACCIDENTAL, 'winners' then they are imagining American Football is about to overtake actual football around the world. Good luck with that."

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2. Posted by Paul C, 15/11/2017 6:21

"Three engines instead of four is 25% more stupidity, less practice, less real testing and more boredom. Deep six the engine limits before they drive less than museum cars!"

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3. Posted by kdxrider, 14/11/2017 19:48

"So next year there's supposed to be 21 races (IIRC). That means an engine has to last seven races. Sounds all very well and good but they've probably just tripled the cost of an engine ----- don't see the logic behind it myself."

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4. Posted by TokyoAussie, 14/11/2017 3:41

"There is a balance to be found about cost cutting and engine penalties. The current penalties are ridiculous, and cars needing extra engines have to buy them, so just how much cost is being cut? Make penalties too small, and the bigger teams will just buy more engines anyway and take the small penalty, so not much cost cutting there, either.

To reduce costs, it appears to me that the engines have to be simplified. Simply reducing the engine allowance will mean less and less running on Fridays and Saturdays as teams try and conserve engines. There's something about not having any action on track that takes away from the action on track."

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5. Posted by Anthony, 13/11/2017 17:21

"Alonso raced at Indy rather than at any NASCAR event.

The decline of open wheel racing in the US has been sad to witness. Sadly I think that Liberty may inflict the same on F1. "

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6. Posted by Chris Roper, 13/11/2017 15:16

"How is it cutting costs?
The Manufacturers will still have to produce the engine and the Teams still have to pay it just means they are paying for what the FIA will consider an additional consider a spare but the teams will see as a compulsory penalty taken in the last few races.
I know that NASCAR if quoted as bad by F1, but since Alonso got so many F1 Fans to at least look at a NASCAR race last year F1 had better hope that they don't start losing fans to that series as the rules are at least fixed."

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7. Posted by GrahamG, 13/11/2017 15:03

"Don't always agree with Lewis but here he is spot on. Engine costs are spiralling upwards because of the need to spend hours on the dyno proving long life components and yes, the grid penalty system is a pathetic farce."

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Hamilton: 2018 cars like NASCAR

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