Honda free to develop its engine for the 2015 season

It was announced this week that Honda has won its fight to develop its engine during the 2015 season after being given concessions by the FIA, according to the BBC.

A loophole in the regulations for this year means Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari are not bound by a pre-season engine homologation deadline (February 28) as they were last year, though that initially did not extend to Honda as it enters the sport in 2015 with McLaren.

The loophole means Honda’s three rivals can develop 48% of the engine throughout the year using 32 ‘tokens’, leading to a complaint from the Japanese manufacturer to the FIA earlier this month.

Following that complaint, the FIA has allowed Honda limited development throughout the season. The BBC reports Honda will be allowed to make upgrades based on the average number of tokens unused by the other manufacturers by the time of the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.

The report quotes FIA race director Charlie Whiting, in a written statement, to explain Honda’s concession as follows:-

'If the three 2014 manufacturers have eight, seven and five unused tokens respectively at the start of the season, then the new manufacturer will be allowed to use six during the season (the average rounded down to the nearest whole number).'

The decision from the FIA takes into consideration the concerns of Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari, who are united in the belief that Honda has an advantage from entering the sport a year late because it knew the performance of rival engines in 2014. By contrast, the three manufacturers last year entered the 2014 season without a benchmark to aim for.

With freedom to develop over the whole season, it is unlikely any other manufacturer will use all 32 tokens before the race in Melbourne, meaning Honda will have the tokens to improve engine performance during the season itself.

Overall, it is clear that something needed to be done by the FIA with this issue and I am glad that it has been resolved for Honda as quickly as it has before pre-season testing begins next month. In my opinion, the FIA have looked at the regulations and decided to give Honda a fair amount of tokens to use to develop their engines over the season based on what the other three manufacturers currently and that is the correct decision personally for all involved.

Even though Honda may have had a year to get to grips with the V6 power units and have watched their rivals performing under the regulations that were introduced last season, Honda can plan as much as they can to get competitive on the track but the reality is that they could be competitive or they could not be.

But let us not forget that Honda did manage earlier last year to complete their tests earlier than planned which has surely helped them and has built their confidence and motivation up behind the scenes in the Honda and the McLaren factories. But at least gives Honda a platform to build on and improve upon during 2015 and beyond.

For 2015 Honda have secured the chance under the regulations legally to develop and improve their performance on the track during the season, this was all that Honda wanted in the first place in order to try and close the year gap their rivals currently hold over them. But now they have been given the chance to develop as when they feel fit during the 2015 season and will be grasping it with both hands too.

Sarah Jones