Engine Loophole Closed for 2017

[cosworth151]

The loophole that allowed Lewis Hamilton to stockpile new power train parts will be closed for next season.

"During any single event, if a driver introduces more than one of a power unit element that is subject to penalty, only the last element fitted may be used at subsequent events without further penalty," said an FIA statement issued in the wake of Wednesday's WMSC meeting in Paris.

"This is to prevent the stockpiling of spare power unit elements."

I'm glad that this oversight has been corrected. That said, I don't blame Hamilton & Mercedes one bit for taking full advantage of the rules as they are currently written. They would have been fools not to.

[Jericoke]

I understand the idea behind closing the loophole, but did they already forget why they created the loophole in the first place?

One bad power unit, and a car spends the rest of the season starting at the back.  It's not like there's millions of these power units and the odds of a lemon coming up are small.  They're hand made to order, with only a dozen on earth at any given time.  Ruining someone's season because of a microscopic air bubble in a piece of cast aluminum doesn't serve the drivers, the teams, the sponsors or the fans.

I think ruining someone's race is enough punishment.

[Scott]

I still hate the engine rules, and this just reinforces the idea that they aren't going to abolish the stupid penalties. 

Grid penalties potentially cost a team money as they lose places in the championship as a result of a failing engine system that has a limited number because the FIA is attempting to have the teams cut back on spending.  On top of that the teams spend quite a bit more than they used to to build or buy supposedly bulletproof engines.  Surely a lot more money out than money saved at the end of the day.  Kinda stupid if you ask me.