The truth about the engine freeze

Since its introduction ahead of 2007, the renowned engine freeze regulation has caused much stir, but rather than levelling the playing field, some teams have made great progress, while others laid off their engineers to follow the rules strictly.

Rumour has it that Ferrari has made the most of the new rules, with McLaren being an easy second. As early as Melbourne, but especially remarkable at both Spanish Grand Prix venues, the Ferrari engines dominate the top speed charts.

Before the engines were homologated at the end of 2006, several top engines failed, including a Renault at Monza and Schumacher's Ferrari engine at Monza. Back then, all manufacturers were stressfully pushing development to attempt to leapfrog the competition before development was banned.

A single year later there are huge differences in interpreting the rules, the extremes being Renault and Ferrari. Renault's team principal Flavio Briatore has formally declared that his team interpret the rules in along with their spirit, namely cost reduction. While Toyota backed the team, Renault finds itself far behind the top teams in term of raw engine performance and driveability.

Ferrari's Aldo Costa on the other hand was quoted as saying "Rules are frozen on the engine but you are allowed to change components for reliability reasons and also, if you demonstrate that you are implementing a more economic, a cheaper component, you can also ask permission."

In effect, the homologation process in 2007 was subject to the engine, not including clutch, flywheel, liquids, exhaust manifolds, heat shields, heat exchangers, oil tanks, catch tanks or any breather system connected to them, fuel pumps nor any component not mounted on the engine when fitted to the car, any ancillary equipment associated with the engine valve air system, such as hoses, regulators, reservoirs or compressors.

Any of these areas are therefore a possibility for development. McLaren and Ferrari for instance have made no secret that their lubricants have evolved. Both Mobil and Shell have developed less viscous oils to reduce internal engine friction and allow it to accelerate faster. In addition, McLaren is also reported to have greatly modified its lubrication system to reduce the amount of oil that is circulated in the dry sump system.

In all, if the FIA decides not to limit the engine regulations further, no team will have the luxury to sit back and better opt to strengthen its reduced engine department again to keep up with the competition.