2013 engine cost reality check

[cameraman]

There is an interesting article in Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91791) about the costs of the new turbocharged inline 4. It seems when you divide the development costs of about $US25 million by eight engines/car/season you get some mighty expensive engines. Mercedes & Renault are rumored to be spending cubic dollars on their development.

Just more proof that the FIA is disconnected from reality.

[nissan gtp]

I don't consider $25M expensive in F1 terms.

[emjaya]

It's not expensive to huge car companies wallowing in mid-pack mediocrity, but to a small independent engine manufacturer supplying the arse end of the field, it is.

[nissan gtp]

It's not expensive to huge car companies wallowing in mid-pack mediocrity, but to a small independent engine manufacturer supplying the arse end of the field, it is.

price of entry to F1. If you can't afford it, race somewhere else. $25M, while a good bit of money, is affordable for F1

now for the supposed new mindycar engine, $25M for development would be out of line.

[Insomniac]

Seems pretty cheap to me. Multiple seasons, multiple cars and multiple buyers.

Current breakdown:

Renault: 6 cars
Mercedes-Benz: 6 cars
Ferrari: 6 cars
Cosworth: 6 cars

$25M works out to $4.1M/car, spread it over 3-4 years and it's $1.4M down to $1.04M/car.

[opinionated ow]

Seems pretty cheap to me. Multiple seasons, multiple cars and multiple buyers.

Current breakdown:

Renault: 6 cars
Mercedes-Benz: 6 cars
Ferrari: 6 cars
Cosworth: 6 cars

$25M works out to $4.1M/car, spread it over 3-4 years and it's $1.4M down to $1.04M/car.
Those numbers don't work because so far as I can tell that doesn't include ongoing research, reliability improvements etc.

[emjaya]

Seems pretty cheap to me. Multiple seasons, multiple cars and multiple buyers.

Current breakdown:

Renault: 6 cars
Mercedes-Benz: 6 cars
Ferrari: 6 cars
Cosworth: 6 cars

$25M works out to $4.1M/car, spread it over 3-4 years and it's $1.4M down to $1.04M/car.

Not if they can't pay. HRT and Virgin are running on a shoe-string now. If they fold, Cosworth is not going to get $25m from Williams to cover the costs.

[cameraman]

The 25 million is just the development costs. It is added on top of the costs of the engines themselves.

[Insomniac]

Yeah. I was just talking about how those costs could be spread out. Seems like nothing for F1. I could see a detuned V8 option if it really was a burden in cost.

[cameraman]

In the end they are talking about doubling the engine costs. I think some of the teams are less than impressed with that idea.

[opinionated ow]

I think its just a ruse to hide the true fact..nobody is interested in this pissy little engines!