Ferrari has been allowed to make changes to its 2.4 litre V8 engine to help improve its reliability, after suffering a catalogue of engine failures in the first four rounds of the season. Both the Italian marque and customer team BMW Sauber have encountered numerous problems with the Type 056, with no less than five failures thus far and one other precautionary change.
Although engine development is effectively frozen as a result of the engine homologation rules introduced in 2007, small incremental changes to auxiliary components are allowed. However, manufacturers are only allowed to make significant changes to their engines to improve reliability, and only after receiving agreement from the FIA and fellow engine manufacturers. Ferrari's engine problems are understood to have centre around the powerplant's pneumatics (pressurised air) system.
Ferrari confirmed on Tuesday that it had received permission from the FIA to make the required changes, with those alterations set to be made available to the works and customer teams from the Spanish Grand Prix. However, only new engines will feature the changes, with engines used in any of the first four Grands Prix featuring the same configuration as previously.
“A lot of work was carried out on the test bench [with the engine], completing several long runs and this work produced some solutions which it is felt will solve the reliability problems experienced in Bahrain and Malaysia,” said Ferrari. “The team therefore requested and received authorisation from the FIA to make some changes within the framework of the current engine regulations and these modifications will be fitted to the engines to be used in Spain.”
Thus far, Fernando Alonso and BMW Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa have suffered two engine failures each, while de la Rosa's team-mate Kamui Kobayashi has been the victim of a failure too. Meanwhile, the engine removed from Felipe Massa's car after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix is still being used in free practice sessions. Toro Rosso is the only Ferrari-powered team not to have suffered an engine failure.
Source: ManipeF1
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