Party Mode F1: FIA may ban qualifying mode engine settings after Spa GP

Party Mode F1: Special qualifying mode engines developed by Mercedes and other engine manufacturers can be banned after the race in Spain.

According to a report by the race.com, the peak optimized qualifying engines in Formula 1 can soon be outlawed by the FIA after Spain, after observing huge deficit in the performances in Qualifying and race day.

The significant differences in the performances during the race days and qualifying days. especially in Mercedes and Racing Point, propelling FIA to go for this decision.

What is Party Mode F1?

Since the V6 engine era, the engine manufacturers have been pushed to create high-performance settings, which enable the cars to maximize the speed for crucial moments in qualifying and very briefly during grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton coined a special term- ‘Party Mode’. the report further states that teams have been informed that a rule change can be enforced to prohibit such modes ahead of the race at Spa.

Meanwhile, it is also being speculated that the teams will be instructed to utilize qualifying mode for a percentage of the race. However, it is not achievable with the impact it will bring on the engines’ life.

It is possible that this change, which could have a major impact on the competitive order this season, maybe pushed to the start of 2021 pending further discussion.

How Party Mode F1 help teams?

Red Bull’s team principal highlighted that Mercedes’ W11 is only 0.4 seconds faster than Red Bull on race-days, yet in the qualifying, it differs around more than a second, so what brings the difference on two separate days.

Max Verstappen claims that the difference in qualifying modes are probably bringing the deficit “I think it is quali mode, they definitely seem to be using a bit more of that,” he said last week. “The engine modes in the race are a bit closer especially, I think, for us.”

The impact achieved by Ferrari over superfluous qualifying modes was evident last season. Though it brought intense scrutiny, which triggered a series of technical directives from the FIA to ensure teams were not burning oil or manipulating fuel-flow regulations to gain performance.

Nevertheless, Ferrari was never found guilty of wrongdoing but had a confidential settlement with the FIA, causing their slump in the 2020 season.

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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