It is no secret that Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is a costly affair. Team budgets run as high as $445 million! Surely, the sport could do with some cost reductions (especially given the current state of world finances).
The FIA however seems to be demeaning the essence of the sport by proposing to standardize engines in order to reduce costs. Don’t get me wrong, cost reductions are good and in fact necessary given the current 20 car grid (with one team’s future uncertain), but I think that standardizing engines will change the sport fundamentally, and not in a good way. In F1 as we know it, the team matters as much as the driver.
Then, as the linked article points out, there’s the question if, given the FIA’s other targets, adapting their proposals would indeed reduce costs after all? There’s a lot more on the subject so if you’re interested in the future of F1, read on.