Red Bull wants more F1 engine allocations

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has called for Formula One drivers to be allowed more engines per season to reduce the rash of starting grid penalties that reached farcical levels at the weekend.

Mercedes's championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who took a record 69th pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, was the only driver at Monza on Sunday to start from where he had actually qualified.

Behind him, nine of the 20 drivers took penalties for engine and gearbox changes.

Drivers are allowed four power units, divided into six component parts, per season before penalties are incurred. Next year's allocation will be reduced to three while the calendar expands from 20 to 21 rounds.

"For me that should be number one on the agenda for the next strategy meeting," Horner told reporters.

"I tried to get it changed at an earlier meeting in the year but there was no support for it.

"I would hope that would now perhaps be different with teams incurring and staring down the barrel of further penalties between now and the end of the year."

The engine restrictions were introduced as a cost-saving measure, and to reinforce the sport's energy-efficient credentials, but Horner said that objective was not being achieved.

"It's not saving the cost because the engines are going on a world tour anyway, they're being used and you're just incurring penalties as a result.

"Perhaps we need to get back to a more equitable balance," he said.

"Maybe five engines is the right number rather than four going to three."