Ferrari reveal ‘last minute’ decision behind key F1 2024 rule change
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will round off the F1 2024 season.
Ferrari’s power unit chief has revealed the “last minute” decision for F1 teams to increase the number of engines allowed for the 2024 season.
Under the previous set of rules, a driver was allowed three engines over the course of a year which led to a number of grid penalties as the record season went on.
But, with two more races on the schedule, the teams will have some more leeway as the allocation has been boosted up to four.
Ferrari react to PU allocation expansion for 2024 season
The F1 Commission met at Formula 1’s London office earlier this month to discuss a number of matters related to the sport but the subject of power units very nearly went untouched.
Ferrari’s PU chief Enrico Gualtieri described it as a “last minute” decision to make an alteration to the engine allowance for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
“It was three until the very last minute,” Gualtieri told media including PlanetF1.com. “We were prepared obviously in tackling the season with these conditions.
“There was this kind of proposal at the last F1 Commission and finally I think that there was a broad agreement in getting four [engines].”
PlanetF1.com recommends
F1 2024 calendar: Car launch dates, pre-season testing, TV schedule
F1 2024 cars: What name has each team given their chassis for the 2024 season?
But despite the extra allocation, Gualtieri said it would not affect Ferrari’s plans too much.
“In case of four and in case of three, our approach wouldn’t really have changed a lot,” he said.
“It would have been always a challenge to keep the maximum level of performance, this was what we were preparing for with the three and this is still what we are preparing for with the four.
“So I don’t think that it would really change a lot our approach. For sure it would have changed, I will say, the effort and the challenge that each unit would face because for sure it’s a matter of mileage and it’s a matter of one unit more.
“But the overall approach for us would have been exactly the same to keep the project running, get the product running at its maximum performance level in every kind of condition. We wouldn’t have changed that.”
Read next: Niki Lauda’s ‘pampered’ Lewis Hamilton confession revealed
