In recent days, discussions relating to the world of Formula 1 have focused on power units, with the Honda that seems to have surpassed the Mercedes one in terms of power. A step forward that was more evident in recent weeks, with the introduction of the second unit, which would have put Toto Wolff’s men on alert. As the engines were essentially ‘frozen’ due to the regulation, this progress seemed difficult to explain. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner gave credit to the smallest wing mounted in Austria and the new oil from ExxonMobil, while Auto Motor und Sport quantified the extra power found by the Anglo-Austrians in recent weeks at 14 horsepower.
German automobile magazine ‘Auto Motor und Sport’ informs about the allegedly engine power advantage of Honda:
Reliability improvements are allowed. Nothing is done behind closed doors, all engine manufacturers are informed when parts get changed and even have the option to veto in advance.
Renault is measured to be between 20 and 25 hp behind the new engine leader [Honda]. Renault opted not to upgrade the engine this year and is fully committed to their completely new engine for 2022. Renault wanted to avoid doing two new engine constructions.
Ferrari is measured to be between 25 and 30 hp behind the new engine leader [Honda]. In a first step, Ferrari made up half of the gap they had to the top. All components of the powertrain were improved. Ferrari is in good spirits to fully catch up to the top with the second engine shot in 2022. There should already be a development direction that shows promising results on the test bench.
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