what is the fun in doubling the costs in order to reducing them!

It seems that the days of counting tokens, the reduced token spend levels and engine development stagnation could be coming to an end in Formula 1. According to Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul, the teams have agreed to chuck the token system in favor of trying to allow for engine development to close or converge the performance disparity.

Many discussions about the current state of F1’s engine performance gap with Mercedes beating the field like a rented mule is couched in the counter argument that the V8 era had much the same issues and it takes time for the development cycles to reach parity and a point of diminished returns on engine development. That harmony, through time and logical development limitations within a certain, bound set of regulations, will reach its zenith and achieve equilibrium.

The token system was an artifice that prevented any escalation of the parity timeline and artificially tied the hands of those trying to play catchup with Mercedes. Now unleashed, Ferrari, Renault and Honda all have a chance to put their development systems in high gear and close the gap quicker than the token system would have allowed. Some believe the system would have always prevented any true parity as there were black and white parts that were frozen from development in the token system that permanently locked certain parts out of the development cycle possibility.

It could also mean that Mercedes is free to take their current dominance to the next level and out-pace the others with an already matured baseline in which to start developing with.

this is my biggest fear.

it’s not because i love Ferrari, it’s about the sport being destroyed. it wouldn’t matter to me if we see steel wishbones and less aero . the sport should be fair in all ways. and in order to reduce the costs you are basically doubling them.