Looming Formula 1 Engine Penalties Could Be Good for Fans, Bad for Teams

In the 2014 Formula One season, the first grid penalty for exceeding the power unit component limit was not handed out until Daniil Kvyat received one at the Italian Grand Prix, the 13th race of the season. In total, only six penalties were assessed.

This year, with Renault taking a step backward in terms of reliability and Honda struggling in the first year of their F1 return, it looks like there will be more grid penalties sooner in the season. Therefore, the penalties will also have a greater effect on the championship—and, in an unintended side effect, they may also produce some interesting racing near the back of the grid.

With the introduction of the new V6 hybrid engines for 2014 came penalties for exceeding the limit on six different components of the new power units: the internal combustion engine (ICE), motor generator unit-kinetic, motor generator unit-heat, control electronics, turbo charger and energy store.

Last year, each driver had five of each component available for the entire season. The penalties were 10 grid places for the first time a sixth of any component was used and five grid places for the sixth of any other component. The same process repeated itself if seven or more units were used. Also, any unused grid penalties carried over to subsequent races.

For 2015, the limit for each component was reduced to four and, while the penalties remain the same, instead of unserved grid places carrying over to the next race, drivers will be given a time penalty if they qualify too low to serve the entire penalty on the starting grid.

Clearly, the days of teams using one engine for qualifying and another for the race (and then turning up with completely new engines for the next grand prix) are long gone.

And while the power-unit penalties may seem like another gimmick designed to supposedly "improve the show"—a common refrain in recent years—they do serve the purpose of forcing the teams to build more durable engines as the sport seeks to boost its environmental credentials and improve its applicability to road-car technology.

By the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix, per the FIA's reports, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Kvyat had each already used three or more of at least one power-unit component. Ricciardo's engine blew up at the end of the race, while Button had problems with his energy recovery system and was unable to start. We will find out this week in Spain whether Button's problems will necessitate the use of more new components.

At the front of the grid, between the six drivers for Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams, only Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have used more than one of any component. The Ferrari drivers used new ICEs in Bahrain, and Hamilton is on his second set of control electronics, having made a change on the Saturday of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

But that is how it should be—drivers should still be on their first components. Each part must last an average of 4.75 races to get through the season without a penalty, and there have only been four grands prix so far.

As Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren try to recover from disappointing starts to the season, engine penalties could hamper their comebacks. Even if Renault and Honda are able to improve the performance of their power units, it will be little consolation if their drivers are regularly starting five or 10 grid slots lower than they should or having extra seconds tacked onto their races.

Red Bull are already resigned to the fact that they will be penalised this year. Before the Bahrain race, per BBC pundit James Allen's personal site, Ricciardo said, "I think we are going to get copped at least with one [penalty]. We've already gone through two of the ICEs, or whatever. Eventually we are going to have to serve penalties, but hopefully the reliability improves."

Gimmick or not, though, the coming penalties might actually provide some extra racing excitement. Wet qualifying sessions are always interesting for their potential to scramble the grid and have faster cars starting behind slower ones. The same is true of the engine penalties.

Last year, Ricciardo showed himself to be a daring and often spectacular overtaker. And you don't need to be reminded about the skills of Alonso and Button. OK, just one reminder: Canada 2011, when Button came from last place (in—surprise, surprise—a wet race) to pass Sebastian Vettel on the final lap and steal the win.

Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren are unlikely to challenge for race wins this year, but having their drivers out of position on the grid a few times would provide some excitement in the mid-field.

The penalties could also have a big effect on the teams' incomes, especially in McLaren's case. If they are able to claw their way back into the battles in the lower half of the top 10, but then start taking grid penalties, the potential lost points could keep them near the bottom of the constructors' standings, affecting their prize money payout.

Or what if Hamilton, still leading the championship, ends up with a grid penalty later in the year? The Mercedes power unit has been nearly bulletproof since last year, but, as mentioned, he is already on his second set of control electronics. 

Imagine the hair-pulling if such a penalty cost Hamilton a race win or (heaven forbid) the championship!

For now, though, it is only the Renault- and Honda-powered drivers who really need to worry. And with circuits such as Montreal, a notorious engine-breaker, on the horizon, well, it shouldn't take until the summer break for the stewards to start doling out power-unit penalties this season.

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