Four-times world champion Alain Prost says it is likely the new engines being introduced in Formula One next year will lead to more retirements.
The V8 engines which have been used in F1 since 2006 will be replaced with 1.6-litre turbocharged engines next year.
Prost, who won three world championships with turbocharged engines, told Autosport: “For sure we are going to have some reliability problems, in the beginning especially.”
As well as the reintroduction of turbocharged engines, last seen in 1988, F1 teams will have to get to grips with complex new energy recovery systems.
“We all need to accept that sometimes it is going to be a problem,” said Prost. “The public will understand it is a new technology and it is not reliable, but slowly they will see that you get the performance, the reliability, the fuel consumption.”
Prost added it was good for F1 that another manufacturer will rejoin the sport in the shape of Honda, who he won the 1989 championship with while driving for McLaren. McLaren and Honda will reunite in 2015.i
During last season car failures accounted for 7.7% of all failures to finish a race by a driver. In 1993, Prost’s final season in the sport, it was 24.0%.
