Formula 1 has revealed some details of how ballast could replace grid penalties, if the sport opts to go down that path in the future.
Currently all power unit penalties are served as grid drops, meaning a driver usually starts several places lower than they qualify, with the exact number of places dropped tied to the severity of the component change.
This can create a mixed up grid, with frontrunners starting at the back and having to battle their way through the field. However such is the current power unit situation that a race weekend rarely goes by without at least one or often several penalties handed out, particularly towards the end of the season.
It's been proposed that engine penalties are served via ballast – additional weight applied to the car as a performance handicap – this would ensure the grids remain closely related to the qualifying result and cars aren't undeterred from running in qualifying, as starting higher still brings a benefit despite the weight penalty.
F1 has now confirmed it is considering the proposal, but is open to retaining the current penalty system because it's "understood" and can create an exciting "battle as a front racing car claws its way from the back of the grid".
It adds: "Among the disadvantages is that once a penalty has been applied and the car is at the back of the grid, or a car is at the back of the grid for other reasons then there is an attraction to make further strategic changes which is outside the spirit of the regulations."
Ballast also has advantages and disadvantages which were outlined: "The advantages of this is that it is simple, and cars start in the position that they qualify in.
"The disadvantage could be that unless the commentators make mention of the ballast penalty during the race (as they do in BTCC for example), it may leave spectators wondering why a driver is slow. It may also show a driver as being slower than his team mate when this is not necessarily the case."
It's also proposed that ballast is graduated, so that a small change, such as a new turbocharger, would only see 5kg added, whereas an entire power unit could be 15kg – though the exact weights would be calculated "to give a similar end of race effect to the current grid penalties".
