Brawn: Independent F1 engine supplier key for 2021

Formula 1’s Managing Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn says bringing in an independent engine supplier in 2021 will be a vital indicator in understanding whether the new engine rules meet its targets.

Liberty Media has set out its key goals for the future engine regulations to be introduced from 2021 with the standardising of energy stores and control electronics to help bring down costs, stricter design parameters to keep development costs down and an increase of 3,000rpm to improve engine sound.

While the initial engine objectives were met by a mixed reception, with Ferrari issuing an F1 quit threat if its needs were not attended to, Brawn is certain the targets are the way forward for the sport.

Aston Martin has voiced its interest in entering F1 as an independent engine supplier from 2021, with a potential tie-up with Red Bull having strengthened its technical partnership from this year, with the last independent engine supplier Cosworth pulling out of the sport at the end of 2013.

Brawn believes if F1 can secure an independent supplier it will ratify its engine rules by demonstrating the regulations are affordable and attractive to bring new manufacturers into the sport.

“The 2021 engines have to be more economical, cheaper and make more noise,” Brawn told Sky Sports F1. “They have to be regulations that an independent engine supplier could manufacturer. We’re not saying we’ll get an independent engine supplier but there has to be the technical specification that enables an independent supplier to join.

“I think that is a really important barometer because if we achieve that it means we’ve put the engine in the right place both technically and economically.

“An engine today just on its own is £1m, and that is just to buy the engine, it doesn’t include the development or design and the other things that go on. That is far too expensive. We need to drive down that cost to make it more economical.”

Throughout the 2018 season F1 will undergo further talks between key stakeholders, including all current and interested manufacturers, to nail down the 2021 engine rules.