16/03/2005
NEWS STORY
Following recent events in Melbourne, the FIA has issued the following in an attempt to clarify the engine rules:
"Each driver may use no more than one engine for two consecutive Events. Should it become necessary for a driver to use another engine he will drop ten places on the starting grid at that Event and may not use another engine until the end of the next Event. Any driver who failed to finish the race at the first of the two Events may start the second with a different engine without incurring a penalty."
The purpose of including the final sentence in the first paragraph of Article 85 of the 2005 Formula One Sporting Regulations was to ensure that if a driver failed to finish the first of two races he would not be penalised in the second if the engine was changed, the principle being that failing to finish a race was sufficient penalty.
As a result of what happened on the last lap of the race in Melbourne a distinction will now be made between failing to finish and choosing not to finish, the former is normally accidental or beyond the control of the driver while the latter is not.
In order to ensure the purpose of the regulation is fully respected, and unless the reason is completely clear, in future we will require the team of any driver who fails to finish the first of two races to explain the circumstances surrounding the retirement to the Stewards of the meeting.