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Engine freeze could damage the sport - Christian Horner

Red Bull will use Renault engines this season © Sutton Images

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner has warned that F1 could lose engine suppliers if it upholds its strict development freeze.

Last year the Mercedes was considered to be the most powerful engine on the grid, leading teams to pressure the FIA to allow its competitors to catch up by temporarily allowing minor upgrades and re-tuning. However, when the FIA said it would only let the most powerful engines be de-tuned, an agreement on engine equalisation was not reached.

Although there is no requirement for engine equality in the regulations, the loss of Honda, Toyota and BMW means there are just four engine manufacturers left: Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Cosworth. Horner's concern is that if a competitive advantage in upheld by the regulations, some of those engine manufacturers may decide to quit the sport.

"The FIA has all the data in hand to decide upon an adjustment of the engines," Horner told Germany's Auto Bild Motorsport. "It would be a disaster to lose another engine manufacturer at the end of the year because they cannot compete with the others. The rules for the development of the chassis are so strict that the engine plays an ever more important role."

The ban on refuelling this year means that fuel consumption will become a critical factor in the races. Renault, which supplies Red Bull as well as its factory team, is believed to have the most fuel efficient engine, albeit one slightly down on power. A frugal engine will allow a team to run a lighter fuel load at the start of the race, a factor that will be worth a significant amount of lap time in the early stages of a grand prix. Fuel levels will no longer have a bearing on qualifying times, as the top ten won't have to run in Q3 with enough fuel to start the race. Therefore, the Renault powered cars may qualify lower down the grid but make significant gains during the opening laps.

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