Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg yesterday secured pole position for the Russian Grand Prix after Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered more misfortune in qualifying.
The German, chasing his seventh successive win, is to be joined on the front row by Finland’s Valtteri Bottas in a Williams. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel qualified second, but has a five-place grid penalty.
Hamilton, the world champion and winner in Russia for the past two years, but 36 points behind Rosberg after three races, did not take part in the final phase after a power unit problem. He is set to start 10th.
Photo: AFP
Mercedes said it was the same failure that the Briton had experienced in China two weeks ago, where he failed to set a lap time in qualifying and started at the back of the grid.
Hamilton had already been summoned to see stewards after qualifying for failing to follow the race director’s instructions at turn two.
In related news, Formula One on Friday announced a deal with the sport’s four engine manufacturers to reduce prices over three years from next year, ensure all teams are supplied and reduce performance gaps.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that the agreement had been approved by its World Motor Sport Council and would now be written into the regulations.
As part of the agreement, thrashed out over months, the FIA committed to stable power unit regulations until 2020 — something the manufacturers needed to make the engines more affordable.
Research into “improving the sound,” which means cranking up the volume to appease fans yearning for the old ear-splitting V8 wail, was under way with the aim of implementation by 2018 at the latest.
The 1.6L V6 turbo hybrid power units, made up of six main parts including the internal combustion engine and energy recovery systems, were introduced in 2014.
While far more fuel efficient, and technologically relevant to road car production, than ageing V8 engines, the new units have also been considerably more expensive.
A customer supply can cost well in excess of 20 million euros (US$22.89 million), depending on the manufacturer, whereas FIA president Jean Todt has said 12 million would be an acceptable amount.
The FIA had threatened to introduce an independent power unit supplier if a deal could not be reached.
It said the new agreement would reduce the cost by 1 million euros next year compared with this year’s prices.
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