F1 | Mercedes will not comply with new oil consumption regulations

In Belgium the choice of the has not gone unnoticed at all Mercedes to introduce the fourth and final seasonal Power Unit (after it the penalty) on the cars of Lewis Hamilton e Valtteri Bottas. A "smart" choice by the German team, aimed at circumventing the new directive on oil consumption limits which will come into force from Italian Grand Prix. The FIA, in this regard, clarified: “We have received several questions about oil burning from Monza onwards […] The main question is whether the engines introduced at Spa should be subject to the 'oil consumption' expectation of any ICE element of the Power Units introduced from the Grand Prix of Italy 2017 onwards must be less than 0,9L/100km'.

1. Article 23.3b of the Regulation states: “(…) Each of the six elements of the Power Unit will be considered used once the car's transponder has demonstrated that it has left the pit lane. (…)”
So, to be clear:

2. If an engine (ICE element) is introduced on the Monza weekend or after, its oil consumption must be less than 0.9L/100km each time it is used.

3. If an engine (ICE element) was introduced on or before the Spa weekend, its Oil consumption must be less than 1.2L/100km each time it is used”.

According to the reconstruction of the FIA, Mercedes will be able to use the new power units with a higher level of oil consumption compared to all the other teams that will introduce new units from the next Italian Grand Prix onwards. Furthermore, the Stuttgart company would have thus broken an agreement stipulated between the engine manufacturers which provided for the introduction of engine updates only in compliance with the new regulations.

Federico Martino