Ferrari pushes power unit development to the limit and bets on ADUO for F1 recovery
For the past couple of months, a young Nissan powertrain engineer with Formula E experience has been working at Maranello: Maxime Martinez. He is a specialist in energy management who has joined Enrico Gualtieri’s technical group, which is pushing hard on the evolution of Ferrari’s V6 hybrid power unit.
He has only been at Ferrari for a short time, but he is already heavily involved in the engine department of the Prancing Horse, which is currently in a full development phase. Maxime Martinez completed his gardening leave after leaving Nissan’s Formula E team and joined Maranello as a Power Unit Performance Engineer. He is a young engineer who also brings previous experience from Mercedes, where he worked as a Powertrain Control Engineer.
He could be exactly the right person at the right time for the Racing Department, helping accelerate development in the critical area of electrical energy management, where Enrico Gualtieri’s group has suffered a clear technical gap compared to the Brixworth power unit designed under Hywel Thomas.
It is undeniable that the Ferrari 6-cylinder turbo, code-named 067/6, loses around 25 horsepower to Mercedes when operating at full deployment from mid-straight onwards, while it performs much better in medium power phases. There is also possibly a torque curve that is too aggressive at low revs, which should in part be shifted towards higher rev ranges to support better battery charging under super clipping conditions.
Ferrari has “engineered” a power unit that runs at very high temperatures in order to reduce cooling mass, which brings clear weight savings and, most importantly, aerodynamic benefits thanks to reduced drag.
In addition, Maranello has focused on a power unit that must always stay “on the boil,” especially in low gears, to favour energy harvesting and ensure strong exhaust gas flow through the central exhaust thanks also to a slightly smaller turbocharger. Roughly speaking, around ten horsepower were lost during the design phase, with the expectation that aerodynamic gains would compensate for it.
With the prospect of receiving ADUO approval after FIA engineers collect data in Miami, and confirmation of access to Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities from Monaco onwards, Ferrari could attempt to recover performance against Mercedes, hoping to reopen the championship fight, which is currently dominated by Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, the two Mercedes drivers.
It is likely that at the Canadian Grand Prix Ferrari will debut engine 2, continuing to use the current specification during practice sessions, with the aim of introducing PU 3 with ADUO-derived solutions starting from the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 19 July.
In addition, Maranello has focused on a power unit that must always stay “on the boil,” especially in low gears, to favour energy harvesting and ensure strong exhaust gas flow through the central exhaust thanks also to a slightly smaller turbocharger. Roughly speaking, around ten horsepower were lost during the design phase, with the expectation that aerodynamic gains would compensate for it.
With the prospect of receiving ADUO approval after FIA engineers collect data in Miami, and confirmation of access to Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities from Monaco onwards, Ferrari could attempt to recover performance against Mercedes, hoping to reopen the championship fight, which is currently dominated by Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, the two Mercedes drivers.
It is likely that at the Canadian Grand Prix Ferrari will debut engine 2, continuing to use the current specification during practice sessions, with the aim of introducing PU 3 with ADUO-derived solutions starting from the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on 19 July.
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