Engine changes allowed up until Hungary

The FIA has made a late regulation change for the 2012 World Touring Car Championship season, allowing penalty free engine changes for Ford and SEAT up until the fifth round at the Hungaroring.

In 2011, only one engine change without penalty was permitted for all of the teams running newly homologated 1.6 turbo “World engines”, barring force majeure. From this season, engines were to last the whole season, but the FIA has made this exception due to the number of new engines taking part this year.

The FIA Touring Car Commission’s reason for the late change is to allow “flexibility for the competitors competing with the newly homologated engines.”

SEAT and Ford will be competing with new engines which have never been raced before, whilst BMW and Chevrolet’s 1.6 turbos were in use during the whole of the 2011 season.

After this period ends at the Hungaroring, engine changes will result in grid penalties for the drivers.