I haven't found a good answer on this question yet and I'm hoping someone has an answer.
We know that teams are allowed 8 engines in a season with no penalty.
Replacing an engine block seems obvious as replacing an engine, however an engine is made up of a lot of parts any of which can fail.
At what point is replacing a part on an engine considered pointless because you are considered making a *new* engine at that point? Cam shaft? Springs? Piston? Head cover?
The FIA Sporting Regs 28.4 says how many engines can be used, the FIA Technical Regs 5.20 define what can be changed on an engine. Effectively, the block, pistons, con rods, crank and cam shafts are all deemed non-replaceable. Ancillaries are replaceable although some must be replaced by homologated parts.
Sporting Regs
28.4 a) Each driver may use no more than eight engines during a Championship season. Should a driver use more than eight engines he will drop ten places on the starting grid at the first Event during which each additional engine is used. If two such additional engines are used during a single Event the driver concerned will drop ten places on the starting grid at that Event and at the following Event.
Technical Regs
5.20 Replacing engine parts:
The parts in lists A and B below may be changed without incurring a penalty under Article 28.4 of the F1 Sporting Regulations. If changing any of these parts involves breaking a seal this may be done but must carried out under FIA supervision. The parts in List B may only be replaced by identical homologated parts in accordance with Appendix 4 of the F1 Sporting Regulations.
List A
- Clutch
- Clutch basket
- Hydraulic pumps
- Engine electronic boxes (ECU's, power modules, control boxes)
- Fuel filters
- Fuel pumps
- Oil filters
- Oil tank systems
- Pneumatic bottles, regulators, pumps and pipes for valve actuation
- Exhaust systems
- Supports and brackets related to the auxiliaries, mentioned above
- Screws, nuts, dowels or washers related to the auxiliaries, mentioned above
- Cables, tubes or hoses related to the auxiliaries, mentioned above
- Oil or air seals related to the auxiliaries, mentioned above
- Spark plugs
List B
- Throttle system (including but not limited to throttle device, linkage, actuator, hydraulics)
- Intake system external to cylinder head (including but not limited to trumpets, trumpet tray, air box, air filter)
- Ignition coils
- Injection system
- Alternators
- Oil scavenging pumps
- Oil supply pumps
- Oil air separators
- Water pumps
- Electric and electronic sensors
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
