“A great effort has been made, both logistical and technical”. This is how Scuderia Ferrari defined the work done to bring an updated power unit to Sochi in the Russian Grand Prix, which will be used on the SF21 car of Charles Leclerc starting with this weekend. The Monegasque driver will have to start the race from the back of the grid, but will be able to rely on an improved power unit, which should be capable of guaranteeing about ten more horsepower thanks to “an update of the hybrid system”.
What can this mean? Since the defined field is the hybrid system, it can be the MGU-K or MGU-H (both, both also only one), while interventions on the turbocharger are not excluded. The regulation, in fact, states that between 2020 and 2021 the teams can update one time the following components that form the power unit or contribute to its functioning:
- Thermal Engine (ICE)
- Turbocharger (TC)
- MGU-H
- MGU-K
- Batteries (Energy store, ES)
- Electronic control system (CE)
- Exhaust system
- Fuel
- Motor oil
The regulation does not foresee when the teams can introduce updates to the components listed above. It is allowed to update by homologating the components at the beginning of the season as well as during the current championship. In fact, according to the regulations, the engineers must send a dossier to the FIA by 28 February in which all the specifications of the power unit that will be used in the upcoming season are listed. The specifications may be changed during the current season respecting the limit of one update per unit provided that the aforementioned dossier is provided again to the FIA with the changes that the team in question intends to apply.
Ferrari therefore approved new specifications of some components, an important experiment in view of 2022 as the Scuderia itself underlined in the official note in which it made official the debut in Russia of the new power unit: “Its main purpose is to gain experience for the 2022 car project”, reads the note that also underlined the fact that Charles Leclerc is the first to bring the new engine to the track in light of the risks associated with the use of the damaged battery pack in the Hungarian GP accident when the Monegasque at the start was hit by Lance Stroll. The introduction of the new hybrid system on Carlos Sainz’s car will be decided later even though the Spaniard will most likely have the new engine in Turkey where he will in turn suffer a penalty on the starting grid. The penalties of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are not due to the introduction of new specifications at the component level, but from the fact that they have exceeded the limit of three power units per season allowed by the regulation.
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