FIA blocks vote on engine freeze

As autosport.com revealed earlier, a group of carmakers had hoped to approve plans for a part engine homologation in the sport from 2008 at the SWG meeting at Montreal. This comes against the backdrop of the FIA having said at Silverstone that it is pressing ahead with plans for a full engine freeze.

The subject of engines was not on the agenda for the SWG meeting, to discuss 2008 rules, but a proposal was going to be put forward to bring the matter up at the end of the meeting.

FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting, who chaired the meeting, did not allow the matter to be taken to vote, though.

Whiting argued the plans for part-homologation, known as the Monaco Agreement, contained technical elements that should be discussed by the Technical Working Group (TWG) rather than the SWG, and felt that the matter had been brought up too late to be considered.

This comes as a blow to the manufacturers, who are against the move to a full engine freeze. With the rules needing to be approved before June 30, time is running out on their attempts to get the plans for a full engine freeze altered.

However, autosport.com understands that the car makers are hoping to arrange a formal meeting with the FIA prior to the United States Grand Prix so that a vote can be taken before the deadline.

Whiting's argument that the Monaco Agreement vote could not take place because it had been put forward too late has left several car makers disappointed, however.

One source said: "The FIA has had the basic proposal since Monaco, and so did the teams and manufacturers.

"Plus, at the SWG meeting at Barcelona, the 12 teams were forced to vote on the Maranello proposal even though this was never proposed or discussed in advance."