The new fuel. As explained in recent months by Carlo Platella for FormulaPassion.it “Formula 1 will embrace alternative fuels, while continuing to support the combustion engine with a substantial electrical part. It will start in 2022, when the new E10 fuel will debut, an acronym that identifies its composition at 10% ethanol together with 90% of traditional substances. However, with ecological fuels there is the problem of lower energy density, that is, the chemical energy existing in fuel per unit of volume which is released during combustion. In fact, with the E10 fuel for next season it is estimated the loss of power from the internal combustion engine to be between 5 and 10%, which can however be compensated by the development carried out by the engineers from year to year”. Until the Abu Dhabi 2021 race, the Formula 1 cars used an E5 blend, with 5% ethanol and 95% fossil fuels.
Adapting the engines. Last July, the German magazine ‘Auto, Motor und Sport’ reported on the first tests with E10 fuel of the four engineers present in Formula 1 – Mercedes, Honda, Ferrari and Renault – and stated the observations of an engineer who quantified the loss of power caused by the lower energy between 60 and 80 kilowatts (equal to 80-110 hp), depending on the manufacturer. These tests were carried out without adapting the 2021 power units to the new type of fuel, as part of the experiment. Obviously the teams have carried out the tests, optimizing power units and fuels, and in recent days the same source has always quantified in about 20 hp the current power deficit that the engineers are trying to recover.
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Red Bull confirms it. “Honda is working hard to adapt and what I have heard has been positive, although the performance is not yet the same as in 2021. But in general we will have to wait and see and understand how we will present ourselves in the race,” explained Helmut Marko, the Red Bull consultant. The Anglo-Austrian team has created its own power unit department – with an impressive signing campaign from rivals Mercedes – to make up for the the fact that Honda is officially leaving, despite the fact that – for a fee – they will continue to provide the team with the necessary technical support.
Who hopes to recover. On the engine side, Ferrari made progress in 2021, getting closer to Mercedes and Honda, the high-voltage ‘cold’ system introduced during the season was probably worth more than two tenths per lap, as confirmed by Alberto Antonini for FormulaPassion.it. Progress is now awaited on the V6, with the hope of closing the gap thanks to a better adaptation of the power unit to the new E10 petrol, which will be one of the key factors for the engine in the beginning of 2022. Renault instead has in store for the Alpine a completely renewed PU, in search of the missing horsepower from the thermal part: according to the Germans of Auto, Motor und Sport, the transalpine single-seater lacks 35 hp compared to the Mercedes, the result of lack of development during the last two championships. All before the freezing of the engines, which will come into force at the end of 2022 and will last for three Formula 1 seasons.
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