But moves to force through more radical 2016 'unfreeze' underway
Wednesday 26 November 2014 16:31, UK
Mercedes’ rivals already fear they could be in for a repeat of the team’s 2014 dominance next season because of the engine advantage enjoyed by F1's new all-conquering force.
After four seasons in which Red Bull have dominated the sport, Mercedes emerged as arguably an even more commanding force in the first season of F1’s hybrid turbo regulations. Lewis Hamilton’s title-clinching victory in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi season finale represented Mercedes’ 16th of the season, a new F1 record.
With the Mercedes power unit having enjoyed a sustained performance advantage since the start of the year, the German manufacturer’s Renault and Ferrari-engined rivals have been pushing for a so-called ‘unfreeze’ in 2015. While engine makers, under the existing regulations, can develop a proportion of their respective power units over this winter via a ‘token’ system, the revised systems have to be homologated by the FIA at the end of February.
Despite calls for the chance to make further limited changes after that point, no agreement has yet been reached on a second homologation period in July 2015. Mercedes have argued that such a move would only serve to increase costs but their stance has prompted suggestions that their rivals could push for a more radical change of engine regulations in 2016.
Red Bull chief Christian Horner, who has floated the idea of a 'simplified' power unit featuring some standardised parts in order to control costs, is resigned to Mercedes not agreeing on a relaxation of the rules for 2015.
And while far from writing off his own team’s chances of regaining the world championship next year, he admits that if paddock speculation is to be believed Mercedes could be poised to extend their advantage over the winter.
“Nothing’s going to change for next year, but we [the sport] can’t afford to not get 2016 right," Horner told reporters.
“We’re not writing off next year but for sure the gap that there is, and from what we hear the performance gains that Mercedes are bringing next year, it’s going to be a massive challenge to reduce that.
“If you believe the numbers that are floating around the gap could grow rather than diminish, so that would be rather depressing if that were the case!”
Asked if there was not something Renault could do to bridge the gap for Red Bull, Horner added: "They can make an inroad but I think it would be unlikely to match this year’s engine. I think we can get closer to it but of course Mercedes aren’t going to stand still. Ferrari are probably in a very similar situation. That’s very tough when the engines are frozen at the end of February."
Ferrari have even more ground than Red Bull to make up on Mercedes over the winter after they ended 2014 without a race victory in a season for the first time in 21 years. The Scuderia, whose cars finished over a minute adrift of Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, are already anticipating another challenging season as they continue to rebuild.
Speaking before his departure from Maranello on Monday after just seven months in the job, ex-team boss Marco Mattiacci, who had put in place a restructuring plan at the team, said: "You have seen today, the gap [to Mercedes] is quite impressive.
“So we need to make a big, big jump and time is against us. So 2015 we foresee to be quite a challenging season.”
There is one unknown in the engine stakes for 2015, however, and that is returning Japanese manufacturer Honda. The engine maker is linking up with McLaren again after a two-decade gap and the company’s Head of Motorsport Yasuhisa Arai predicted in a recent interview that “I have confidence that we will match Mercedes".
Fernando Alonso is understood to have already signed a deal to spearhead the revived partnership’s on-track bid for the top but the Spaniard, whose McLaren move has yet to be confirmed, has already said that he expects Mercedes to remain as F1’s leading force in 2015.
“Mercedes definitely have a big advantage and they will probably carry this advantage into next year,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports F1 after his final race for Ferrari.
“But I will join a project that is not for next year only, it is a long-term relationship and it is a project which will hopefully challenge Mercedes soon and this is why I have made this decision.”
