Formula 1 has been on an engine freeze since last year. The only improvements that the teams are allowed to make are for reliability. Engine manufacturers have used this rule to upgrade their engines. The one manufacturer who has lost out since last year is Alpine. The French team finds itself down on power against the other engines and is asking for some changes to establish parity.
How much has Alpine lost?
It’s not sure how Alpine has lost engine power. Some speculate that upgrades for reliability by other manufacturers have led to performance gains as well. Reports and claims suggest that Alpine may be down on other engines by as much as 30hp. This has not gone down well with Alpine, including new VP of Motorsport Bruno Famin, and they have raised concerns. The matter is now with the Power Unit Advisory Committee of Formula 1.
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What does Formula 1 plan to do about it?
The FIA has had talks to decide whether any action is needed from their end. The last time there were talks of this kind, FIA’s suggestion was to introduce a Balance of Power (BoP). This means introducing restrictions on a car’s parameters to keep parity. These parameters may be anything like aerodynamics, horsepower, engine management, and even weight.
These changes would mean pegging back the manufacturers who have done a better job. They are done to ensure no team is particularly dominant or lagging behind. Therefore, it is understandable why someone like Toto Wolff isn’t happy with these suggestions.
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Wolff raises objection
Even during this period of Red Bull dominance, Wolff has maintained that Formula 1 is a meritocracy. Therefore, he doesn’t like the idea of their performance being curtailed because of Alpine’s issues.
According to Wolff, there is a rule in the 2026 regulations for this sort of thing. If an engine manufacturer falls below 3% from the best power unit, the teams would discuss potential solutions for it. These solutions would first involve getting an idea of what the cause for the lack of performance is. Then, jokers in the form of extra dyno hours or testing would be given. He firmly believes that introducing any restrictions on the top teams like BoP will be a catastrophe for Formula 1. Meritocracy is what makes the sport, and the sport drives entertainment.
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