Gearbox change rule might have a loop hole – Formula 1 news
There has been growing rumour in Formula 1 circles that teams have made tactical retirements during the recently concluded Bahrain Grand Prix in order to exploit a loophole in gearbox rules.
The rule for gearboxes was introduced as a cost saving rule in F1 and it requires gearboxes of the cars to last five consecutive Grands Prix without unscheduled changes.
If a car changes its gearbox within those five Grands Prix, the driver receives a five grid penalty. This season so far Pastor Maldonado and Michael Schumacher have received gearbox penalties.
It has been speculated that some gearbox problems can be simulated for tactical reasons by a report in Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport.
Williams driver Bruno Senna pulled out of the race in Bahrain because of technical faults in the car. The magazine suggests that the retirement was tactical as it allowed Williams to change its gearbox without getting a penalty because the rule does not
apply if a car is genuinely retired even if a gearbox is changed.
McLaren driver Jenson Button had trouble during the Bahrain GP and was not able to finish it due to retirement.
“A lap later, despite setting a personal best in sector two, Button was back in the pits,” said Auto Motor und Sport.
The official explanation was a differential problem, but Auto Motor und Sport claims that the retirement, like Senna’s, was “probably for tactical reasons”.
“Button was in 13th place, with no hope of breaking into the points.”
Button’s retirement now allows him to change his gearbox without having to worry about any grid penalties. It is a clear loop hole and with no fix in sight for the Spanish GP, FIA will have to look into the matter as soon as possible so that the loop hole
is not abused.
An interesting fact is that because of Michael Schumacher’s five grid penalty in Bahrain he can now have a complete gearbox change for Barcelona and according to the German magazine the new gearbox is a carbon housing design and is much lighter than the
previous one. This should improve the degradation of the Pirelli tyres as well.
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