The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has approved a new set of penalties for exceeding power unit allocation following recent criticism that they’re too harsh.
At the recent Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso took on a combined 50-place grid penalty after they used a fifth engine – exceeding the four each driver is allocated for the entire season.
With both drivers unable to drop more than a handful of places, they were also given additional time penalties which must be served during the race.
Under new rules agreed by the F1 Strategy Group and green-lighted on Friday by the WMSC, the most severe penalty a driver can serve for exceeding their allocation is demotion to the back of the grid, therefore scrapping in-race penalties.
The change will come into effect from the next grand prix in Hungary.
Meanwhile the WMSC also granted Honda – and any other newcomer – an additional engine per driver in their debut season.
“New power unit manufacturers to F1 will receive an extra power unit for each driver to use throughout grands prix for the season, bringing the total to five – one more than the existing power unit suppliers,” confirmed a statement.
“This will be applied retrospectively to Honda.”
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