Tag: power unit

F1 2017: Sauber Ferrari Powered in 2018

The Sauber F1 team announced today that they will be retaining their partnership with Ferrari for the 2018 season.

The announcement comes on the back of the fact that Sauber has broken off its deal with Japanese manufacturer Honda earlier this week. The short-lived partnership was announced earlier in the season by then team principal Monisha Kaltenborn.

“I am very pleased to confirm that we will continue to work with Scuderia Ferrari as our engine supplier in form of a multi-year agreement,” said newly appointed team principal Frederic Vasseur. “The shared experience between the Sauber F1 Team and Ferrari has built a strong foundation, which will allow us to move forward swiftly and efficiently, also in terms of the development of the 2018 car.”

The continuation of the Sauber/Ferrari partnership presents an interesting debate as to who will be in the cockpit for the team in 2018. With Swedish owners it is seems that Marcus Ericsson is assured of his seat but the host of Ferrari academy drivers which include Antonio Giovinazzi and F2 star Charles Le Clerc makes the second seat at Sauber an enticing prospect.

July 28, 2017
Breaking News: Red Bull Announces Engine Supplier

Red Bull Racing has revealed that it will continue its partnership with Renault Sport Racing as power unit suppliers.

The renewed partnership will run to the end of the 2018 season and will be badged as Tag Heuer. In addition the Toro Rosso team will move away from Ferrari power units and into the Renault stable for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership which has proved very successful over time. After the reconstruction that Renault has undertaken, clear progress has been made which has made it logical to continue with the TAG Heuer badged engine.”

May 29, 2016
F1 2016: Russian GP Review – Rosberg Wraps Up Win Number Four

If you were a neutral there wasn’t much to enthuse about in the Russian grand prix. But these days’ neutrals are few and far between. And even a true neutral would have to be impressed with the spellbinding way in which Nico Rosberg has won the Russian grand prix.

While Nico Rosberg led serenely away from pole position and Kimi Raikkonen snatched second from Valtteri Bottas the carnage behind started to unfold. Sebastian Vettel, recovering from a five-place grid penalty, was attempting to pass Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull for fifth when Daniil Kvyat rammed into the back of him. As if to compound matters Kvyat rammed into the back of Vettel a second time in turn three. The Ferrari speared off into a wall prompting a colourful tirade over the German’s radio.

Kvyat’s catastrophic exuberance resulted in damage for both Red Bulls and the Force India of Sergio Perez and prompted the deployment of the safety car. Through the shower of carbon fibre and expletives Lewis Hamilton emerged in fifth. The Brit was forced to start tenth after another power unit issue in Saturday qualifying.

At the restart Bottas was able to get the better of Raikkonen and snatched second as Hamilton made his way past the second Williams for fourth. He took advantage of Raikkonen’s poor exit off turn three and quickly made it third place on the track. Bottas held off Hamilton until the first round of stops but was unable to resist as Hamilton took second place with a move up the inside of turn two.

By now Rosberg, untroubled in the lead, had built a near fourteen-second gap. Once in clear air Hamilton reduced the gap to 7.5 seconds before being warned of a water pressure issue. In the end Rosberg’s domination ended in a fourth consecutive victory by 25 seconds over Hamilton. Roughly six seconds down the road Raikkonen completed the top three and rather sedately scored Ferrari’s 700^th podium.

Bottas finished a distant fourth ahead of Williams teammate Felipe Massa in sixth. Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with a fine sixth place ahead of Renault’s Kevin Magnussen in seventh. Romain Grosjean salvaged an eighth place finish for Haas ahead of Sergio Perez in ninth. Jenson Button made it a double points score for McLaren by taking the final point in tenth.

It’s difficult to say that the Russian grand prix revealed everyone’s true form. Yes, Mercedes are still clearly the leaders of the pack but in modern Formula 1 several factors conspire to control the pace of a driver. For Kimi Raikkonen it was the necessity to save fuel that stopped him from pushing the Ferrari to its full potential. For Hamilton yet another power unit issue halted his assault on victory. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind” Hamilton responded when asked if he could’ve won the race.

As it were Hamilton, in the unfamiliar bridesmaid role, sulkily made his way through the podium ceremony without bothering to spray the champagne. While Hamilton’s mood was understandable given his issues so far in 2016 it was unbecoming of F1’s “best ambassador” as he has dubbed himself.

The 1^st of May commemorated the death of the great Ayrton Senna 22 years ago. A driver who when truly tested delivered the very best of himself and his abilities. A driver who typified what a champion ought to be.

The character of a true champion isn’t revealed as he basks in the glory of win after win. True champion character is revealed in how a driver responds in the difficult moments. For two years Nico Rosberg deferred to Hamilton but now he has responded with the sort of tenacity that, if maintained, could carry him all the way to championship glory.

(All images courtesy of Pirelli)

May 2, 2016
F1 2016: McLaren on the up?

McLaren has passed a mandatory crash test for the front-end of its MP4-31.

The Woking based team reportedly completed and passed a dynamic test of the front of their 2016 car. The nosecone of the McLaren is rumoured to be similar in style to what the Red Bull Racing team ran in 2015. However, the longer nose as seen on the 2015 McLaren has not been ruled out as a viable option.

McLaren’s MP4-31 will be launched on February 21 in the pitlane of Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya. Rumours have also emerged that team has overcome it’s power unit deficiency. Honda, who struggled throughout the 2015 season, are alleged to have solved the issue surrounding its energy recovery system. Some put the rumoured gains that have been made by the Japanese manufacturer in the region in 223 horsepower.

If it is the case the the Honda engine should be on par with that of Ferrari and Mercedes however it still doesn’t answer the question of the woeful reliability the team endure throughout their 2015 campaign.

As the first test of the season draws closer you’d have to expect that rumours of such significant gains will remain pure speculation until the team and its drivers can get out on track and prove it.

January 25, 2016
FIA and F1 engine manufacturers reach agreement on power unit cost cap

Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, is expected to implement new rules at the start of the 2018 season which will regulate the costs of F1 engine supply going forward. This follows an agreement being reached by the current F1 engine manufacturers to reduce the cost of a V6 Hybrid power unit considerably, thereby ensuring that customer teams will not be left without an F1 engine deal.

consensus was reportedly reached between the FIA and F1 engine manufacturers during a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday. Various proposals guaranteeing cost effective supply for all teams were put forward and all indications are that the cost to customer teams will be significantly reduced.

F1 engine manufacturers had been put under pressure by the FIA who wrote out a public tender for an alternative engine formula in F1. This pressurised current suppliers to come up with a viable solution to alleviate customer teams who are currently struggling just to keep their heads above water as a result of the extremely high power unit costs. The deal is expected to remain in place until at least 2020.

Power unit prices are targeted to come in at around £12m. This results in a substantial cost reduction – teams are currently paying up to 50% more than that amount.

In addition, the number of gearboxes allowed for the season have also been reduced to three, as a part of the cost cutting initiative.

The changes will need to be formally ratified by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) after which the power unit discussion should be settled for the near future at least.

January 20, 2016
F1 2015: Rosberg Down On Power

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg says he is at a disadvantage this weekend by having to use an “extremely old” engine.

When the German team introduced its upgraded power unit at the Italian grand prix Nico Rosberg was forced to abandon the unit in the back of his car. The engine was believed to have been contaminated by a coolant leak and forced the ‘scrapping’ on the unit.

It means that the current power unit fitted to the number 6 Mercedes has done a lot of mileage. As a result Rosberg may not be able to push the power unit as hard as Hamilton may be able to on his car. It lends itself to a disadvantage for the in-form Rosberg but he hasn’t given up on getting that elusive third consecutive win.

“We know it’s going to be difficult because I have an extremely old engine as a result of having lost my fourth engine for the year, so I have a lot of miles on it and that’s definitely costing me straightline speed,” said Rosberg.”It’s going to be a difficult weekend as a result. But I just have to go quicker in the corners. “The engine is very, very high mileage, very old, and this track is an engine track.

November 27, 2015
F1 2015: Red Bull Confirms Engine Deal

Red Bull Racing has finally confirmed that it has finalised a 2016 power unit supply deal.

After months of negotiating the Red Bull Racing F1 team has finally put pen to paper on a power unit for the 2016 season. After spectacularly falling out with Renault mid way through the season the team went shopping at Ferrari and Mercedes only to come up empty handed. A rumoured attempt at securing Honda power even made the rounds but eventually a reconciliation with Renault was the team’s only option.

Despite not confirming that the soon to be announced deal is with Renault the French manufacturer is the only plausible supplier at this late stage.

“Next year will be a transitional year,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner told Autosport. “We have an agreement with an engine [supplier] for next year which hopefully will be confirmed in the coming days.”It will have a development path, which ironically, in a way, is what we were trying to achieve 12 months ago, and we’ll see how that goes.”

November 27, 2015
F1 2015: Italian GP Preview – The Monza Saga Continues

As the powers that be consider a plethora of changes to the sport it appears as if the traditionally passionate Monza circuit will not form part of it.

No one will ever mistake F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as soft touch. Then again, you don’t take a racing series and turn it into the pinnacle of motorsport by being sentimental. When asked about the future of the Italian grand prix he frankly answered “what goes, goes.”

For now though the circuit which ran its first race in 1950 is still on the F1 calendar and the next stop for the 2015 season. The famed Monza circuit isn’t revered for its technical difficulty or for its delivery of explosive races, at least not lately. It is loved for its history and for the cherished part it has in the history of Formula 1 racing.

The devoted and fanatical Tifosi may be dreaming of a red car winning the race but the demands of this classic power circuit makes that doubtful. Step number one for the engineers will be efficient aerodynamics. To reduce the maximum amount of drag the smallest rear-wing will be fitted, along with the slickest bodywork, in order to increase top-speed down the circuit three long straights. A towering straight line speed however isn’t the be all and end all as braking for the circuit’s few corners is as significant. “Braking has become the biggest thing at Monza. It’s very tricky to get that right,” says Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Ferrari team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene has cautioned fans not to expect too much this weekend and likened their chances of victory to “pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” However, Arrivabene has confirmed that there will be no “super engine” for Monza but that the team may spend “some tokens” to close the gap to Merc. Ferrari’s last engine upgrade was made at the Canadian grand prix with a fairly lacklustre improvement being the result.

The start of Sunday’s race could play a big part. In Belgium, under the new start procedure, Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg dropped to fifth from second on the grid and Hamilton’s start wasn’t perfect either. This, combined with the long run to turn one, could put the Silver Arrows under pressure early on. If truth be told the only chance for an exciting Italian grand prix depends on the kind of start those in the second row can muster. If not, this will be another Mercedes victory bar any sort of unreliability.

Twelve months ago Nico Rosberg’s quest to win the world championship was on even keel with teammate Lewis Hamilton. Yet, despite a handful of wins and pole positions, in 2015 his chances appear to be shaky at best. This year the German’s confidence has taken a knock under the onslaught of the Hamilton juggernaut. Consequently, there aren’t many who would legitimately give Rosberg a genuine shot at taking the title off Hamilton.

It’s up to the driver of the number 6 Mercedes then to mount a serious challenge against Hamilton. And not just a challenge that is going to beat him this weekend but one that will force the reigning champion to seriously consider the possibility of a real threat from the other side of the garage.

August 31, 2015
F1 2015: Hungarian GP Preview – Racing At The ‘Ring

Formula 1 returns after a three week break to the Hungarian grand prix. However, the excitement has been significantly dulled. The passing of Jules Bianchi has been a surreal and deeply unfortunate reality.

While the mood is solemn the best way to honour the life of Jules Bianchi is by putting on a great show around Hungary’s Hungaroring circuit.

It’s a special place for both McLaren drivers as it is the venue of their first wins in the sport. In 2003 a fresh faced Fernando Alonso took the chequered flag in his blue and yellow liveried Renault and in 2006 Jenson Button turned on the magic on a damp circuit in his BAR Honda to take the top step of the podium.

Times have changed since then for these two who now find themselves teammates at a struggling McLaren Honda team. The 2015 season has been arduous for all involved but Fernando Alonso believes that the Hungaroring and the second half of the season will hold some opportunities for McLaren to show the gains it has made. “I think the second part of the year will show a completely different McLaren, much more competitive,” says the Spaniard. “The steps that are coming are quite big. This is not too difficult when you are at the back of the grid and two seconds off the pace – every step then is half a second or eight-tenths. When you are fighting for a podium you [only] gain 0.1s every two weeks. I think we will get much closer to the top guys in the second part of the championship.”

The Hungaroring’s layout is a flowing mixture of low to medium speed corners with a few elevation changes. This coupled with the lack of any significant straights decreases the demand on the power unit. Due to its flowing nature the circuit offers, in most areas, offers only one ideal line which will limit the chances for overtaking. Consequently, a good qualifying position becomes a major strategic advantage.

Pirelli have selected the medium and soft compounds for the weekend and expect the combination should provide a good balance between performance and reliability. “This selection is soft enough to provide the mechanical grip needed to negotiate all the corners, yet hard enough to withstand the punishing weather conditions and track layout of the Hungaroring. This is not always the easiest circuit to overtake on, so tyre strategy can make a real difference,” says Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery.

Ferrari experienced a difficult British grand prix but Kimi Raikkonen thinks that this was a once-off. “We’ve seen at other circuits it depends a lot on the layout of the circuit and what tyres we run,” said the Finn.”I expect it to be a different story in the next race and at different circuits again. Hungary I’m sure it will [be better]. Silverstone was not the ideal weekend. The others were a bit faster. I’m sure it will be a bit more easy there but we will see.”

Williams delivered a considerably better performance at Silverstone which led Rob Smedley to believe that the team is capable of beating Ferrari to second place in the constructor’s championship. The team believes that a steady stream of small upgrades at every race will make the difference but remain realistic about their potential this weekend. “We know we are still missing a bit in the low speed and we are big enough to hold hands up and say that is the case,” says Smedley.”We’re looking at all sorts of ways of recuperating that.”

For nine months all motorsport fans had hoped to receive the news that Jules Bianchi had woken up and was well on his way to recovery. Sadly, this news will never come and his enormous potential will remain unfulfilled. It is the worst possible outcome but it is not the end of Jules’ legacy. It has reaffirmed the commitment to safety above all else and that is a gift of which the impact and importance cannot be measured. Ciao Jules and thank you.

July 21, 2015
F1 2015: Engine Rule Game Changer?

It has always been recognised and celebrated that Formula 1 has some of the most complex and advanced engine technology in the world. It’s a sport of innovation after all and the introduction of hybrid engines for 2014 well and truly proved that. Last year, Formula 1 went racing on a third less fuel than in 2013 with a 1.6 litre turbo engine and still it produced quicker cars.

It didn’t quite go to plan as far as it being an all-out nail biter between the teams. Instead the rest of the field watched forlornly and from a considerable distance as Mercedes thrashed the lot of them and strolled to both championship titles. Mercedes’ enormous 2014 advantage emanated mostly from an exceedingly superior power unit which left rival manufacturers shamefaced.

Throughout the year Ferrari and Renault fought hard for permission to introduce upgrades during the 2015 season. As a change of rules can only be achieved through a unanimous decision by the teams Mercedes’ refusal to yield seemingly put an end to Ferrari and Renault’s hopes. Yet, for as much as F1 is known by its advanced technologies, the rules that ‘govern’ the sport seemingly has an infinite amount of grey area. You would think that for as long as these experts have been sitting around shiny boardroom tables they’d by now have an idea of how to create a rule that leaves no wiggle room for the infinitely brighter teams. Instead the engine homologation rule is saturated with enough grey area to make you cringe.

At a meeting with the FIA in Abu Dhabi Ferrari technical director James Allison pointed out that the lack of an exact date by which the final 2015 engine must be lodged. Subsequently, and to appear less dense, the FIA have told teams that the “most logical and robust” way to proceed would be to assume that there is no homologation date for the 2015.

Honda has been purposefully left out of the equation because according to the rule a new manufacturer must homologate its engine by 28 February 2015. The Japanese manufacturer in partnership with McLaren feels it is “unfair” to allow its opposition to make progress while its own power unit will remain unchanged throughout the season.

You would think that this means Renault and Ferrari powered cars will have a good and proper shot at the Mercedes. Few things have ever been that uncomplicated in Formula 1 and this is no exception. This is a win for Ferrari and Renault but it’s a relatively small one. Bear in mind how the development of the engine is divided and that in-season development and upgrades are not a free for all. On its introduction in 2014 only 92 % of the hybrid engine was open for development. From here, manufacturers selected 48% to develop. This 48 % is split into 32 tokens which are assigned to various parts of the engine. The various sections each carry a value of one to three tokens depending on its influence on performance.

Now there is the regulation surrounding the homologation which itself has led to several wordless moments of some pretty hefty squinting and head-tilting. Rule 28.5 states that “only power units which have been homologated by the FIA…may be used at an Event during the 2014-2020 Championship seasons.” This rule makes no explicit mention of how many engines can be homologated per year. It is clear however that for an engine to be used during a race weekend it must be homologated. Should this rule be applied as it’s read it would mean that teams have several opportunities throughout the year to bring upgrades to their engines, to homologate as they go. Keep in mind that each driver will only be allocated four engines for the entire season which brings into play the certainty of a grid penalty with each engine change after the allotment.

On the other hand, if the rule is to be interpreted differently it means that once an engine has been homologated for 2015 no changes can be made to it at any stage. By this understanding the advantage of the loophole is only a few extra weeks of development before the start of the season in Australia. Furthermore, up until an engine has been lodged with the FIA, for homologation, the 2014 engine will be the only option to run with. New rules are created to bring clarification, they said.

January 12, 2015