Richards: "The rules around engine development are too complex for new teams"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Technical developments are one of the reasons why Formula 1 is so special. The constant improvement of current cars makes it increasingly difficult for new engine suppliers to join F1. The rules surrounding the engine are the complicated ones for new factories, according to David Richards, former team boss of Benetton and BAR.
Richards believes that independent engine suppliers simply cannot afford to design an F1 engine of their own. "The investment for this would have to be colossal. That's something car makers don't think about in the current situation," Richards tells Motorsport-Total.com. "Only a drastic simplification of the rules would invite to join the Formula 1."
Honda as an example
"You would have to take a number of steps back (in the regulations) before it is possible for someone to invest money in such a project, to get to the level where the current engine suppliers are". As an example, Richards uses the return of Honda in Formula 1.
Honda came back in 2015, with a delay of one year compared to the other engine suppliers. As a result, they were behind the times and only managed to achieve real success with Red Bull Racing in 2019. "They have built the most advanced internal combustion engines ever in Formula 1. With that, Formula 1 gives itself a boost compared to new manufacturers," said Richards.