Will F1 Engine Freeze Happen, Will Mercedes Dominate 2015?

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

When the 2014 F1 season began at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit last March, new rules were in to cut costs down and give the top racing series some “Green” sort of feeling. It was the new look of the sport.

However, when the final round of the year occurred at the Abu Dhabi International Circuit, Team Mercedes had dominated the season in all but three races, and their two drivers were battling it out for the championship with a final double points round.

Seemed like a great series? It wasn’t.

The Brackley unit had a perfect engine, almost too perfect, that their competitors from Renault and Ferrari could not have their engines even keep up with the speed of the Mercedes. The power was down, and because of the freeze of the FIA rules of not having to adjust their engines during the year, there was nothing that the challengers could do by the conclusion of the season, so the best thing to do was try their best and above all, lose.

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As the season is now in the winter relaxing mode, suggestions among the challengers have come and gone, but the idea of returning back to V8’s or V10’s are wildly imaginative, and the best way for the Renault, Ferrari and now the new Honda engines, is to come together for a plan to at least halt the freeze and make all teams in the championship, even Mercedes, to have a period where they will have the opportunity to fix their problems during the season when they can. However, Mercedes is playing the spoiled child syndrome and do not want anything to change. Could it be that they are just wanting to reap the rewards of their victories? It seems that some of the media at the conclusion of last season are already throwing their towels in and expecting Mercedes to dominate with either current champion Lewis Hamilton or German Nico Rosberg having no competition, with both willing to have another go between each other as they did in 2014.

However, although the Renault powered hybrid engines have made some strides with Daniel Ricciardo winning three races last season, the Ferrari’s have suffered tremendously, with no wins and the departure of Fernando Alonso back to McLaren with now Honda engines. McLaren team manager Eric Boullier is now jumping on the wagon to join the other two challengers to change the current system and have equal competition among teams and drivers.

“Doing something that will stupidly increase the costs is not what we want to achieve,” said Boullier as the Frenchman told ESPN F1. “But it’s a competition and we can change the cars as much as we want. Within the regulations I think engines should be frozen once every manufacturer has been able to develop their engines. If you disallow the competition, then this goes against the spirit of the sport.”
Boullier also states that even if Mercedes dominated the current development of the V6 turbo era, it could take years before anyone can catch up if the rules of the engine freeze are not changed.

“They benefited from the fact that they did a very good job and they benefited from the fact that the regulations are locked with the engines being frozen. Most of the gains they have had come from the engine and they will for a couple of years until everybody can match them in terms of development. This is what they are benefiting from and if you could unfreeze the engine regs, you will see some catch up.”
The regulations are not the only thing. The loss of the loud engine roar of F1 is gone, and after so much experimentation among trying to make the system louder, the idea of the V6’s becoming different have not changed. If the managers and media are listening to the fans, double points are not the only thing that is now eliminated. Something else must be done to make this sport as exciting as it once was with equal competition and excitement.