17/01/2015
NEWS STORY
The FIA has agreed to allow Honda to develop its power unit in 2015 in line with rival manufacturers.
Previously, the Japanese manufacturer, which returns to F1 with McLaren this season, looked set to lose out as it was treated as a new manufacturer and thereby subject to 2014 homologation regulations.
Ferrari and Renault, seizing on a loophole in the regulations, were able to put the FIA into a position whereby homologation was allowed to continue in to the season whereas in 2014 there was clear cut off date (28 February).
However, as a new manufacturer entering the sport, Honda was deemed as being subject to the 2014 regulations, a move the Japanese giant saw as leaving it at a distinct disadvantage.
Concerned at the situation, representatives from Honda met with the FIA earlier this week and having considered the matter Charlie Whiting has now given the Japanese manufacturer the all-clear and will be allowed to make a certain number of modifications in order to maintain a degree of competitiveness in line with its three rivals.
"As each of the four 2015 manufacturers will have an homologated power unit at the start of the season, we believe it would be fair to ensure that each of them enjoys equal opportunities for upgrades during the season," wrote Whiting on Friday.
"We will therefore allow the new manufacturer to use the same number of tokens that the other three manufacturers have available to them, taken as an average of the three.
"For example, if the three 2014 manufacturers have eight, seven and five unused tokens respectively at the start of the season, then the new manufacturer will be allowed to use six during the season (the average rounded down to the nearest whole number)."
Under the complicated system, the manufacturers have 32 tokens (in total) to use this season, decreasing to 25 in 2016 and 20 in 2017 (see table).
The move will frustrate Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault who had argued that when they homologated their units in 2014 there was no benchmark, whereas Honda has now had a full season in which to observe the successes and pitfalls of its rivals.
With no apparent time limit set on when the tokens must be used by it is likely that development will take place over the course of the season rather than before Melbourne or even the start of the European season.
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 |
Chris Balfe