BMW & Honda to Drop Opposition to New 2006 F1 Engine Rules

BMW and Honda are reported to have dropped their challenge to the Formula One governing body's new engine rules for 2006. BMW & Honda decided that legal action would be poor publicity for motor racing.

"The BMW Williams F1 team has decided, in accord with BAR Honda, not to appeal against the engine regulations ... scheduled for 2006," BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said. "A legal challenge to the content and form of the modified regulations would take up too much time - time in which all manufacturers would be forced to undertake costly parallel developments. "That would not be in the interests of the sport, whose future we aim to strengthen. With this decision we want to contribute to a united position of the engine manufacturers in Formula One."

A spokesman for the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) confirmed it was indeed aware of the BMW Honda mutual decision.

BMW, Honda and Mercedes originally opposed the reduction of engine capacity from the current 3.0 litre V10s to 2.4 litre V8s in 2006 as part of a group of measures pushed through by the FIA. BMW's Theissen had declared over the summer that any introduction of a V8 engine "would be seen as a serious issue by the board (of BMW) and I cannot really say what the outcome would be".

All three carmakers had talked about possibly taking FIA to arbitration, arguing that the governing body had gone beyond its remit. FIA president Max Mosley pushed the rule changes through on safety grounds, arguing that more engine power equals more speed and more speed means more danger for both drivers and spectators.

Under the sport's 'Concorde Agreement' any technical changes have to be agreed unanimously by the teams unless there are safety issues involved. "All of us agree on engine life extension ... but the main issue for us is the three litre V10," BMW's Theissen stated when the engine rules were first confirmed in October.

BMW, Honda and Mercedez argued that, at a time when Formula One was trying to cut costs, it could be more expensive to switch from V10 units to V8. Other Formula One rule changes for 2005 include the requirement that engines have to last for two race weekends rather than one.