Ferrari, the advantages of the new hybrid system – Formula 1 Team – Formula 1

Ferrari’s performance in Istanbul lifted the Scuderia’s spirits, not so much for Charles Leclerc in fourth, but for The excellent condition of the shape expressed by the car in relation to the performance of previous races. The single-seat No. 16 in Monaco was in fact always close to Mercedes and Red Bull at the top of the race, before diversifying strategies opened the gap in the final. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, recovered from the penultimate position on the starting grid to eighth under the checkered flag, making several overtakes in a race in which no one was able to enjoy the help of the DRS.

Overall, the Red’s performance in Turkey was the result of a well-balanced car that took advantage of beneficial environmental and asphalt conditions to reduce the SF21’s difficulties. The high grip of the road surface and the dearth of water on the track on Sunday made it easy for the intermediate tires to warm up, an aspect where the 2021 Ferrari has often highlighted its shortcomings. In addition to the climatic conditions and the quality of the decoration works carried out in Istanbul, However, Scuderia’s top management also attributed performance advantages to the new power unit’s hybrid system Which anticipates some of the basic concepts for single seat 2022.

The new specification was first introduced in Sochi on the Charles Leclerc car, and then was also installed on the Carlos Sainz car in Turkey. The innovations concern only the hybrid part of the power unit, in particular the battery pack and electric motor generators MGU-K and MGU-HWhile the combustion engine remained in the previous specifications. An introduction to the current season of solutions to be implemented on the 2022 car was dictated by the Maranello team’s desire to check out the new power unit, before it was frozen as the new regulations came in: “It is clear to us that we need to accumulate kilometers on the circuit and experience before 2022, when the power units will be frozen”The team manager said Mattia Binotto. “For us that was the key and why we brought the new specs.”

The first man on the team then spent a brief thought on the contribution of the new specs highlighted at the Turkish Grand Prix: “It gives us a small advantage. I don’t want to limit it in lap time because it depends on the track. It’s not just about the heat engine, it’s about energy recovery, it’s a bit more complicated. But we are certainly seeing some advantages. If we look at Charles’ qualifications [a Istanbul]printed for the fourth time. Looking behind him, the others were very close and I’m sure without the new spec we would have lost two places.”. Given that Leclerc in qualifying beat Pierre Gasly with 61 ppt and Fernando Alonso with 212 ppt, Mattia Binotto estimates the advantage of the new hybrid system at about 2 tenths of a second in a lap in Istanbul Park.

improve efficiency
The clues to the benefits of the updated power unit don’t lie in the straight-line top-speed ratings, as Leclerc’s Rossa climbed in both qualifying and in the race. Indeed, the wake velocity measurements were influenced above all by the aerodynamic configuration that was particularly low for Monaco, as evidenced by the spoon-shaped aft wing. Moreover, it is possible that the power unit did not have an increase in the maximum power released by the hybrid part, since the MGU-K electric generator, connected to the rear wheels, is limited by regulation to a maximum power of 120 kW. Instead, the MGU-H doesn’t provide power to the wheels, but it does help the turbocharger compress air in the combustion chamber, where maximum pressure is restricted by the structural integrity of the thermal engine.

As Mattia Binotto pointed out, The main advantage instead lies in the better efficiency of the hybrid part. On the one hand, in fact, the new battery manufacturing technology allows for better recharging under braking by exploiting the kinetic energy replenished by the MGU-K and the thermal energy remaining in the exhaust gases converted by the MGU-H. On the other hand, efforts have been made at Maranello to reduce power dissipation both in traction and in braking. In this regard, a rumor has recently spread about it Ferrari switched from a 400-volt battery to an 800-volt battery. Increasing the voltage would have allowed the same levels of electrical energy to be transferred from one component of the power unit to another at a lower current density, thus reducing power dissipation. The combined result of both sides is increased energy availability, allowing the two electric motors to run for a longer period of time than in the past.

So it is understood that the main advantage was not an increase in the maximum electric power, and how much Extend the periods of time during which maximum power is available for the hybrid, which results in a greater average force per lap. In addition to the power side, a lot of work has also been done at Maranello on the thermal management of the various components of the hybrid part, to expand the use of electric motors in contexts where in the past the limit was not represented by energy availability, but by reliability and high temperatures.

Additional benefits of the regenerated hybrid will be noticeable from 2022. As reported in recent weeks by Alberto Antonini on the pages of FormulaPassion.itThe new MGU-K and MGU-H are scaled down and designed to require less heat dissipation by the cooling system. This will allow you to design smaller radiatorsThis results in the design of more compact sides to take advantage of the external aerodynamics. This particular aspect will be one of the technical subjects of comparison on the new single seats, as the following regulations will allow the opening of large cooling grilles in the upper part of the bellies in the bonnet area, positioned largely behind the vents that are currently opened to the sides of the passenger compartment. Therefore, teams will be invited to search for the optimal compromise between a hollow-down side design and a more rounded design, in order to make the most of the new grilles and to be able to reduce the hood’s rear vent for hot air.

The only standard for cooling the new hybrid system in the SF21 remains the specification of the hood used from one race to the next. In Sochi and Istanbul, the Reds raced the narrower version, but the rain that marked the last two events prevents us from deciding whether this pick is a daughter-migration less prone to overheating or rather if it’s only because of the cooler ambient temperatures. The real proof of this will be provided by the trio of races in the Middle East and even earlier in Mexico City, where the altitude always proves to be a challenge on the cooling front.