Engine Allotment

[Racewatcher]

If each regular driver is allowed 5 engines this year, how are engines counted when a replacement driver is used?

In the case of McLaren, Button and Alonso each get 5 engines, so under normal circumstances the team get 10 new engines to use throughout the season. When Alonso missed Bahrain and Stoffel filled in, does this allow an 11th engine for the team's total for the year? Or is it 10 engines in total for the team?

Could a team with engine troubles call up the reserve driver at some point in the season in order to get a new engine allotment and avoid penalties associated with using additional engines?

[jack345667]

I believe it's per entrant, so if Stoffel permanently took over Alonso's garage space he would inherit all of his component usage for that year.

[Jolle]

It's per car. The cars used to be "labeled" by the car numbers, but with the driver numbers that's a bit strange now.

In practice, Van Doorne now used McLaren #1, with gearbox and engine allocation. If Button later in the season has to miss a race, he could be in McLaren #2 with that gearbox and allocated. Rule wise it even might be possible that the drivers swap cars? But this could be considered unsportsmanlike.

[Racewatcher]

So, if I understand correctly, the team still only gets 10 engines, and Stoffel would have used one of those engines. Correct? Alonso can either use a new engine for China, or he can use the one Stoffell used in Bahrain, but the Bahrain engine is one of the team's allotment of 10 engines.

[langwadt]

So, if I understand correctly, the team still only gets 10 engines, and Stoffel would have used one of those engines. Correct? Alonso can either use a new engine for China, or he can use the one Stoffell used in Bahrain, but the Bahrain engine is one of the team's allotment of 10 engines.

I'd say it is each team within the teams gets 5 engines, so "Alonso's team" and "Button's team" each have 5 engines
regardless of who is driving the cars, so Stoffel used on of Alonsos engines

[ESPImperium]

Its per car. So take the ALO/VAN chassis at Bahrain, the way the rules work, VAN would be on:

ICE: 2
MGU-H: 2
MGU-K: 2
TC: 2
CE: 2
ES: 2

Gearbox: 2

All were checked after FP3/Quali on car 47. [http://www.fia.com/file/39904/download?token=euWu-XzH] [http://www.fia.com/file/39836/download?token=jGx8eTpt]

The car was built up as car 14, but then switched to 47 as seen in these documents: [http://www.fia.com/file/39761/download?token=GnblfnU3] [http://www.fia.com/file/39788/download?token=o-T4AsTU]

It seems that car 47 was also picked out for the same treatment after the race as well. [http://www.fia.com/file/39961/download?token=jbOaqbks]

Its all down to a linear linage rule where its down to the 'entrant' black T cam and yellow T cam car. Years ago when the 8 engines per driver came out, the first time it was properly tested was in 2010 when Heidfeld was drafted in for De La Rosa at Singapore with De la Rosa only having one fresh unit with 5 or 6 GP on the calendar. There was a rumour then that the teams were receptive to a new unit being put into the pool for an entrant that car got a new driver. They soon realised that there could be a competitive advantage when it was pointed out the teams could just switch drivers sides of the garage mid season . There was to be a rule for 2011 for this with a sub rule where it needed to be a driver that had not competed for that team that year, but was voted down as they engine guys warned of escalated cost.

Personally, i think its a flawed rule in a court of law, but in a sporting way it works. It needs the new engine in the pool rule, as it would bring Alonso back into contention as he would be able to come back into his car and have a full 5 components back again.