I was honestly surprised to read this week that the FIA has ratified a ten-year engine freeze for F1 motor sport. F1 teams must deliver an engine design to the FIA no later than the 31st of March next year, and must stick to that design through the 2017 season.

The reasoning the FIA has given for this is that F1 engines are already incredible pieces of machinery, revving to 19,000 RPM whilst still being surprisingly reliable. While this might be true, F1 has always been the pinnacle of motoring - demonstrating what could be possible in consumer motoring in the future. Stopping this incredible innovation might have short-term benefits, such as limiting the huge budgets that these teams must operate with, but curbing this pool of innovation will also remove the goal that is being set for consumer brands to aim for.

Instead of putting a freeze on development, perhaps the FIA should instead set environmentally friendly targets for teams, such as reducing emissions. This will truly make F1 a target for general motoring. If F1 teams can work out how to pull this incredible performance out of environmentally friendly engines, then it may open people’s eyes to be more acceptant to these kinds of technology.

The FIA has a real opportunity to make F1 a leader in motoring for the world, but instead they have put a total halt on the amazing innovation possibilities.