LONDON, Aug 7 - A planned freeze on engine development in Formula One
from 2008 will be brought forward to next year after an agreement with
manufacturers, the governing body said on Monday.
"The FIA (International Automobile Federation) and GPMA (Grand Prix
Manufacturers' Association) are now in full agreement about the future of the
FIA Formula One World Championship," it said in a statement.
However the GPMA, which groups Renault, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Honda and
Toyota, suggested the announcement was premature despite clear progress.
The FIA said its president Max Mosley and BMW board member Burkhard Goeschel,
representing the GPMA, had met and agreed to bring the freeze forward.
"Engines will be stabilised from the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix," the statement
said. "These will be the only engines used from and including the 2007 season."
The October 1 date represents a relaxation of the FIA's previous position
that the engines to be used in 2008 would revert to the state of development on
June 1 this year.
"No further developments of the engines will be allowed other than retuning
for the 19,000 rpm limit, to be agreed in each case with the FIA under the terms
of the 2008 Formula One Sporting Regulations," said the statement.
"From 2009 the Formula One Technical Regulations will include means to
promote fuel efficiency including energy recovery and re-use. All relevant
regulations for 2009 will be published no later than December 31, 2006."
RIGHT DIRECTION
A GPMA spokesman agreed that the talks were moving in the right direction but
said the manufacturers were still discussing in more detail the points emerging
from Monday's meeting.
"The GPMA will make an announcement following that discussion," he said.
The FIA said the manufacturers' group had also set up a working group to look
at possible future rules for the sport that would allow teams to gain a
performance advantage through energy efficiency.
"These future regulations may include changes to current power units," it
added. "The FIA and other engine suppliers will join this group."
