15/10/2015
NEWS STORY
It is understood that following today's meeting of F1 engine manufacturers with the FIA in Geneva, the aim of which was to try and level the playing field in terms of engines, in-season development has been given the green light for 2016.
The controversial development system, which is based on tokens, involves a sliding scale which originally saw manufacturers allowed to use 32 tokens this year, 25 in 2016, 20 in 2017, 15 in 2018 and just 3 in 2019 and 2020.
However, today's meeting saw the manufacturers agreeing to allow 32 tokens again in 2016 and at the same time remove restrictions on those areas in which development was banned next season including upper/lower crankcase, valve drive, crankshafts, air valve systems and ancillary drives.
The move will be welcomed by Renault and Honda, as the 28 February deadline is now removed and they can continue development in to the new season.
At the same time, the plan to force manufacturers to supply the same spec power unit to customer teams as their works team has been thrown out.
However, the decisions following today's meeting still have to be agreed at the next meeting on the F1 Commission and then ratified by the World Motor Sport Council. As yet, there is no date set for the next meeting of the F1 Commission.
Below is the homologation and token system as it originally stood.
Annual Power Unit Homologation
| Function | Function Details |
Token Value (Weight) |
'15 | '16 | '17 | '18 |
'19/ '20 |
| Upper/lower crankcase | Cylinder bore spacing, deck height, bank stagger. | 2 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Upper/lower crankcase | All dimensions including Cylinder bore position relative to legality volume, water core. | 3 | X | X | X | X | |
| Cylinder Head | Except modifications linked to subsequent modifications. | 2 | X | ||||
| Combustion | All parts of parts defining combustion. Included: Ports, Piston crown, Combustion chamber, Valves geometry, timing, lift, injector nozzle, coils, spark plug Excluded: Valves position. | 3 | X | ||||
| Valves axis position | Includes angle but excludes axial displacement | 2 | X | X | |||
| Valves drive | From valve to camshaft lobe. Position and Geometry. Exhaust and Inlet. Including valve return function inside the head. | 2 | X | X | |||
| Valve drive - Camshafts | From camshaft lobe to gear train. Geometry except lift profile. Includes damping systems linked to camshaft. Exhaust and Inlet. | 1 | X | X | X | X | |
| Valve drive | Gear train down to crankshaft gear included. Position and Geometry. Includes dampers. | 2 | X | X | X | X | |
| Covers | Covers closing the areas in contact with engine oil Cam covers, Cam-timing covers… | 1 | X | X | X | X | |
| Crankshaft | Crank throw, main bearing journal diameter, rod bearing journal diameter. | 2 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Crankshaft | Except Crank throw, main bearing journal diameter, rod bearing journal diameter. Includes Crankshaft bearings. | 2 | X | X | |||
| Con rods | Including small and big end bearings. | 2 | X | ||||
| Pistons | Including bearings and pin. Excluding crown. | 2 | X | ||||
| Air valve system | Including compressor, air pressure regulation devices. | 1 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Ancillaries drive | From ancillary to power source. Includes position of the ancillaries as far as drive is concerned. | 3 | X | X | X | X | |
| Oil pressure pumps | Including filter. Excluding internal if no impact on body. | 1 | X | X | |||
| Oil scavenge systems | Any scavenging system. | 1 | X | X | |||
| Oil recuperation | Oil/air separator, Oil tank, catch tank. | 1 | X | ||||
| Engine Water pumps | Include power unit mounted water pipes. | 1 | X | ||||
| Injection system | PU mounted fuel system components: (e.g. High Pressure fuel hose, fuel rail, fuel injectors, accumulators). Excluding injector nozzle. | 2 | X | ||||
| Inlet system | Plenum and associated actuators. Excluding pressure charging, trumpets and throttle associated parts and actuators. | 1 | X | ||||
| Inlet system | Trumpets and associated parts and actuators. | 1 | X | ||||
| Inlet system | Throttles and associated parts and actuators. | 1 | X | ||||
| Pressure charging | From compressor inlet to compressor outlet. | 2 | X | ||||
| Pressure charging | From turbine inlet to turbine outlet. | 2 | X | ||||
| Pressure charging | From Engine exhaust flanges to turbine inlet. | 1 | |||||
| Pressure charging | External actuators linked to Pressure charging. | 1 | X | ||||
| Electrical system | Engine mounted electrical components (e.g. wiring loom within legality volume, sensors, alternator). Excluding actuators, ignition coils and spark plugs. | 1 | |||||
| Ignition system | Ignition coils, driver box. | 1 | X | ||||
| Lubrication | All parts in which circulates oil under pressure (Oil pump gears, channels, piping, jets) and not mentioned elsewhere in the table. | 1 | X | ||||
| Friction coatings | 1 | X | |||||
| Sliding or rotating seals | 1 | X | |||||
| MGU-H | Complete. All internals including bearings, casing… | 2 | X | ||||
| MGU-H | Position, Transmission. | 2 | X | ||||
| MGU-H | Power electronics. | 1 | X | ||||
| MGU-K | Complete. All internals including bearings, casing… | 2 | X | ||||
| MGU-K | Position, Transmission. | 2 | X | ||||
| MGU-K | Power electronics. | 1 | X | ||||
| ERS | Wiring loom. | 1 | |||||
| ES | Cells (Article 5.4.3). | 2 | X | ||||
| ES | BMS. | 2 | X | ||||
| ERS - Cooling/lubrication | Cooling/Lubrication systems (Including ES jackets, pipes, pumps, actuators). | 1 | X |
Note: X = No modifying/development allowed
| Details | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Total of weighted items | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Total of weighted modifiable items | 61 | 51 | 51 | 43 | 3 | 3 |
| Quota of total weighted items allowed for modifications | 32 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 3 | 3 |
| % of modifications allowed vs. complete weighted PU | 48 | 38 | 30 | 23 | 5 | 5 |
| Total of frozen items | 5 | 15 | 15 | 23 | 63 | 63 |
| % PU being frozen | 8 | 23 | 23 | 35 | 95 | 95 |