Aston Martin urges F1 to rethink their financially straining gearbox concept ahead of 2026 regulation changes
The Silverstone team has implored the FIA to significantly reduce gearbox expenditure when the new regulations are implemented in 2026.
![Aston Martin urges F1 to rethink their financially straining gearbox concept ahead of 2026 regulation changes](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Mike-Krack-of-Aston-Martin-via-The-Guardian.jpg)
Mike Krack of Aston Martin via The Guardian
Gearboxes are critical parts of the well-oiled machine that is a Formula One car, the pinnacle of motorsport engineering. They manage the upshifts and downshifts, transferring power from the engine to the wheels allowing the driver to extract the best speed and acceleration from their car. They come in limited allocation to teams for a season, breaching which warrants a penalty. They were extremely expensive, too.
With the dawn of a new era for F1 in 2026, the power unit rules have been finalized, but discussions are ongoing regarding the chassis regulations, focusing on cost reduction. Gearboxes have been targeted for cost reduction due to their limited impact on performance. Previous attempts to introduce a common gearbox were unsuccessful, but discussions continue to find ways to reduce expenditure in this area. Aston Martin is a team in particular, very keen on getting a cost reduction.
Speaking to Autosport.com on this, team principal Mike Krack said, “Everybody has more or less the same performance from the gearbox. But the cost for gearboxes is horrendous, especially if you compare it to other categories. So in a cost cap world, it’s a question that you have to ask – if it makes sense that you go with such complicated technology if there is no difference in performance?”
Aston Martin and Mike Krack have talked with the FIA about simplifying and making gearboxes more cost-effective in Formula 1. The proposal suggests using simpler technology and reducing the required number of gearbox units per year to enhance the overall sustainability of the sport.
What makes these F1 gearboxes so substantially expensive?
![An F1 Gearbox via Essentially Sports](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/An-F1-Gearbox-via-Essentially-Sports-1024x768.webp)
F1 gearboxes require cutting-edge engineering to withstand the extreme demands of racing, leading to higher costs. Over long races, they are pushed to the limit, and so they must be state-of-the-art to withstand extreme pressure. Using premium lightweight materials like carbon fiber and titanium enhances performance but adds to the overall expense of manufacturing F1 gearboxes.
The complex manufacturing processes of F1 gearboxes, requiring precise tolerances, specialized machinery, and skilled labor, contribute to their higher costs. Additionally, the limited production and customization of F1 gearboxes for individual team preferences necessitate additional expenses in terms of research, development, and production.
Rigorous testing and quality control are essential in F1 gearboxes to ensure reliability, performance, and durability, involving expensive testing equipment, specialized facilities, and stringent quality control measures. Additionally, the design innovations in F1 gearboxes encompass valuable intellectual property, necessitating substantial investments in research and development, which contribute to the overall cost.
Aston Martin and Mike Krack believe that since the F1 paddock’s annual expenditure on gearboxes is more than an extravagant $100 Million in a cost-capped environment, this could contribute to a potential breach. Particularly when teams achieve similar performance levels with them, it raises the question of whether it is logical to maintain such intricate and costly technology if there is no discernible difference in performance outcomes.
In case you missed it:
- McLaren demands immediate changes to cost cap rules for removal of ‘unintended barriers’
- McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella blames the Cost Cap system for causing complexities, calls for the simplification of F1 regulations
Tanuj Sadasivam
(245 Articles Published)