Renault Sport managing director Cyril Abiteboul is to push for a freeze in development of the current Formula 1 engines after 2019 in preparation for changes set to be introduced in 2021.
Next weekend, an important meeting between the Formula One Group, FIA and teams is to take place with the prior unveiling their updated blueprint for the sport in three years time, including engines and financial rules.
However, the French manufacturer believes changing the current power unit rules will only be fair if the current suppliers are not laden with the additional cost of producing two engines.
“There are two things basically in our key message and our position at Renault,” Abiteboul told Autosport.
First, before committing to a regulation, we need to understand the bigger picture, and secondly, we don’t see it’s acceptable or sustainable to have to work on two engines in parallel at the same time.
“If there was to be a new entrant, which is what we wish, he will have a fantastic advantage in being able to focus on the future and not to have to worry about the present and the customers, and so and so forth,” added the French manager.
“I’m just discussing principles which I think are logical, and fair for the next steps.”
Many will likely see the detriment a freeze in development of the current engines would cause Renault in the short-term, as they continue to lag behind Mercedes and Ferrari in the pecking order.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko agreed with the Renault chief, however, but called on the FIA to ensure the performance difference between all four engines was within a key figure.
“If new engine rules are coming which we hope should be announced pretty soon then we have to freeze the engines as they are now,” the Austrian told Motorsport.com.
“And there should be a rule that every engine has to be within three percent, and that is to be properly fulfilled. Then we can live until 2020. Nobody has to make development on these engines, and that’s the way to go.”
