Formula 1 wants more severe penalties to avoid tactical PU changes from teams. Formula 1 wants more severe penalties.

Formula 1 is taking into consideration the possibility of introducing more severe penalties in order for teams to no longer make tactical engine changes, as was the case in the last two years.

The FIA therefore feels that the current system is not a strong enough deterrent.

A meeting of the F1 Commission was held yesterday at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi on Thursday with the goal of evaluating some possible changes for Formula 1. The meeting was held between officials from the commercial rights holder, the FIA and all the F1 teams.

One of the topics which was on the table was relater to the possible introduction of tougher power unit penalties moving forward in an attempt to prevent future tactical replacements.

Based on the current rules, drivers can use a limited number of each power unit components during a Formula 1 championship. Any additional elements lead to different grid penalties.

The first breach of the year limit for each element results in a 10-place grid penalty, but any additional parts only lead to a five-place grid drop. This rule was introduced with the goal of determining  teams to be more sustainable and use only a limited number of engine components during the season.

But teams have understood that there may be more to gain in terms of performance by actually changing the power unit and taking the grid penalties, especially by taking the all-new power unit in one go to trigger a back-of-grid penalty and then only receive five place penalties for future changes.

But this situation may be different as we move forward: the Formula 1 Commission confirmed it is considering a change to the current system, aware that harsher penalties should be introduced in the future.

“It was agreed that the current system is not a strong enough deterrent to teams to make strategic power unit changes, and encourages the change of change of more elements than needed once a driver has accumulated more than a certain level of penalty,” reads a statement issued by the FIA and Formula 1 at the meeting in Abu Dhabi.

“This ultimately causes higher parts costs and undermines the power unit element annual restrictions.”

The topic will be further discussed by the Sporting and Power Unit Advisory Committees, who will complete analysis into potential changes before any rule proposals are put forward.