Aston Martin said that it will "probably" enter Formula 1 in '21 as an engine supplier "if the rules are changed in a way that makes it affordable," according to Andrew Benson of the BBC. F1 execs proposed new engine rules to reduce cost and complexity and attract new entrants, but existing manufacturers have objected. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said, "It moves from probably I wouldn't propose it to the board to probably I would." He added that existing rules were "annoying the public and driving them from F1." Palmer "wants to use F1 as a marketing platform as he seeks to expand Aston Martin's range of road cars." But he said that he and the Red Bull team were "acting in concert to try to influence a change in engine rules." Aston Martin this year had a sponsorship arrangement with Red Bull, which is a "vocal" opponent of the turbo hybrid engines used in F1 since '14, and the car company will next year become the team's title sponsor (BBC, 11/28). In London, Jack de Menezes reported Aston Martin's involvement "would appear to depend on three key factors:" reducing costs on engine development, capping the number of hours allowed to develop engines on "dynomometers," and ensuring that the sport is "exciting and appealing for fans." Palmer said, "The issue is making the sport entertaining again, which means put the driver back at the center of the sport -- whereas today we are talking about a turbocharger being the center of the sport. I'm an engineer and I love the technology, but it's nuts." The situation surrounding the future direction of F1 engines "appears to be crucial" toward the "futures of a number of teams," including those already in the championship and those considering an entry such as Aston and Porsche. Aston "sees F1 as a way of directly competing with Ferrari and McLaren in the mid-engined supercar market, but would only do so if there were enough eyes on the sport in the first place" (INDEPENDENT, 11/28).
