2015 F1 POWER UNIT HOMOLOGATION RULES

The 2015 power unit homologation saga has taken an unnecessary and complicated twist recently. We all know this is due to the FIA and Bernie's love for making things more complicated than they already are. Honda which has entered back the sport and who has had a 1 year learning curve was denied freedom to evolve their engine for 2015 but now the FIA has agreed to allow Honda to develop its power unit in 2015 in line with rival manufacturers.

Previously, the Japanese manufacturer, which returns to F1 with McLaren this season, looked set to lose out as it was treated as a new manufacturer and thereby subject to 2014 homologation regulations. Ferrari and Renault, seizing on a loophole in the regulations, were able to put the FIA into a position whereby homologation was allowed to continue in to the season whereas in 2014 there was clear cut off date (28 February).

However, as a new manufacturer entering the sport, Honda was deemed as being subject to the 2014 regulations, a move the Japanese giant saw as leaving it at a distinct disadvantage. Concerned at the situation, representatives from Honda met with the FIA earlier this week and having considered the matter Charlie Whiting has now given the Japanese manufacturer the all-clear and will be allowed to make a certain number of modifications in order to maintain a degree of competitiveness in line with its three rivals.

Charlie Whiting's justification:

"As each of the four 2015 manufacturers will have an homologated power unit at the start of the season, we believe it would be fair to ensure that each of them enjoys equal opportunities for upgrades during the season. We will therefore allow the new manufacturer to use the same number of tokens that the other three manufacturers have available to them, taken as an average of the three.

For example, if the three 2014 manufacturers have eight, seven and five unused tokens respectively at the start of the season, then the new manufacturer will be allowed to use six during the season (the average rounded down to the nearest whole number)."

Under the complicated system, the manufacturers have 32 tokens (in total) to use this season, decreasing to 25 in 2016 and 20 in 2017. The move will frustrate Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault who had argued that when they homologated their units in 2014 there was no benchmark, whereas Honda has now had a full season in which to observe the successes and pitfalls of its rivals. With no apparent time limit set on when the tokens must be used by it is likely that development will take place over the course of the season rather than before Melbourne or even the start of the European season.

Annual Power Unit Homologation

Function	Function Details	Token Value (Weight)	15	16	17	18	'19/ '20
Upper/lower crankcase	Cylinder bore spacing, deck height, bank stagger.	2	X	X	X	X	X
Upper/lower crankcase	All dimensions including Cylinder bore position relative to legality volume, water core.	3		X	X	X	X
Cylinder Head	Except modifications linked to subsequent modifications.	2					X
Combustion	All parts of parts defining combustion. Included: Ports, Piston crown, Combustion chamber, Valves geometry, timing, lift, injector nozzle, coils, spark plug Excluded: Valves position.	3					X
Valves axis position	Includes angle but excludes axial displacement	2				X	X
Valves drive	From valve to camshaft lobe. Position and Geometry. Exhaust and Inlet. Including valve return function inside the head.	2				X	X
Valve drive - Camshafts	From camshaft lobe to gear train. Geometry except lift profile. Includes damping systems linked to camshaft. Exhaust and Inlet.	1		X	X	X	X
Valve drive	Gear train down to crankshaft gear included. Position and Geometry. Includes dampers.	2		X	X	X	X
Covers	Covers closing the areas in contact with engine oil Cam covers, Cam-timing covers…	1		X	X	X	X
Crankshaft	Crank throw, main bearing journal diameter, rod bearing journal diameter.	2	X	X	X	X	X
Crankshaft	Except Crank throw, main bearing journal diameter, rod bearing journal diameter. Includes Crankshaft bearings.	2				X	X
Con rods	Including small and big end bearings.	2					X
Pistons	Including bearings and pin. Excluding crown.	2					X
Air valve system	Including compressor, air pressure regulation devices.	1	X	X	X	X	X
Ancillaries drive	From ancillary to power source. Includes position of the ancillaries as far as drive is concerned.	3		X	X	X	X
Oil pressure pumps	Including filter. Excluding internal if no impact on body.	1				X	X
Oil scavenge systems	Any scavenging system.	1				X	X
Oil recuperation	Oil/air separator, Oil tank, catch tank.	1					X
Engine Water pumps	Include power unit mounted water pipes.	1					X
Injection system	PU mounted fuel system components: (e.g. High Pressure fuel hose, fuel rail, fuel injectors, accumulators). Excluding injector nozzle.	2					X
Inlet system	Plenum and associated actuators. Excluding pressure charging, trumpets and throttle associated parts and actuators.	1					X
Inlet system	Trumpets and associated parts and actuators.	1					X
Inlet system	Throttles and associated parts and actuators.	1					X
Pressure charging	From compressor inlet to compressor outlet.	2					X
Pressure charging	From turbine inlet to turbine outlet.	2					X
Pressure charging	From Engine exhaust flanges to turbine inlet.	1
Pressure charging	External actuators linked to Pressure charging.	1					X
Electrical system	Engine mounted electrical components (e.g. wiring loom within legality volume, sensors, alternator). Excluding actuators, ignition coils and spark plugs.	1
Ignition system	Ignition coils, driver box.	1					X
Lubrication	All parts in which circulates oil under pressure (Oil pump gears, channels, piping, jets) and not mentioned elsewhere in the table.	1					X
Friction coatings		1					X
Sliding or rotating seals		1					X
MGU-H	Complete. All internals including bearings, casing…	2					X
MGU-H	Position, Transmission.	2					X
MGU-H	Power electronics.	1					X
MGU-K	Complete. All internals including bearings, casing…	2					X
MGU-K	Position, Transmission.	2					X
MGU-K	Power electronics.	1					X
ERS	Wiring loom.	1
ES	Cells (Article 5.4.3).	2					X
ES	BMS.	2					X
ERS - Cooling/lubrication	Cooling/Lubrication systems (Including ES jackets, pipes, pumps, actuators).	1					X

Note: X = No modifying/development allowed

Details	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Total of weighted items	66	66	66	66	66	66
Total of weighted modifiable items	61	51	51	43	3	3
Quota of total weighted items allowed for modifications	32	25	20	15	3	3
% of modifications allowed vs. complete weighted PU	48	38	30	23	5	5
Total of frozen items	5	15	15	23	63	63
% PU being frozen	8	23	23	35	95	95

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