All teams to be guaranteed a supply; Rules to be introduced for 2018
Wednesday 20 January 2016 14:23, UK
Sky Sports understands the FIA and F1's manufacturers have reached agreement over future engine regulations.
The proposals put forward at a meeting held in Geneva included a guaranteed supply for all teams and that the cost to customer outfits plummet.
The new rules, which are now expected to be given formal approval, are set to come into effect from the start of the 2018 season.
Honda, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault had until last Friday to submit their proposals to the sport's governing body and following a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group on Monday and the F1 commission on Tuesday, a path forward was agreed.
It is understood the deal to reduce the cost of customer supplies was made in exchange for keeping the current V6 hybrid engines until at least 2020.
"This has been a positive meeting and it has finished on a note of consensus. One of the key things was power unit supply which caused chaos last year with Red Bull struggling to get an engine for this year," reported Sky Sports News HQ's Craig Slater.
"What has been agreed is that all teams must be supplied, there will be a guarantee for all the entrants that they will take delivery of some kind of power unit.
"The manufacturers are also going to break down the costs for the supplies to customer teams to almost as low as the £12m per team that the FIA wanted.
"In exchange for that these manufacturers will be rewarded with keeping this current generation of unit, so they will see the benefit of the £300 or £400m spent developing these engines."
FIA president Jean Todt had proposed a cheaper customer engine developed under different rules if the manufacturers couldn't reach an agreement. That engine would potentially have done away with at least one part of the hybrid system, something the manufacturers were against.
To further reduce costs the number of gearboxes permitted for a season will be reduced to three.
But refuelling will not be returning to F1 with the proposal dismissed at Tuesday's meeting.
The news means that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt will not have to push through changes, having previously been given a mandate by the World Motorsport Council late in 2015.
