Renault also goes after Mercedes in engine design
Renault
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Mercedes has been the masters on the track since the start of the hybrid era. They build the best car every year and the power unit is also very reliable. The team was the first to come up with an alternative concept for the engine and other manufacturers are increasingly following suit, as it has proven to be successful.
Split turbo
In 2017, Honda decided to adopt Mercedes' concept and build a powerplant with a split turbocharger. The immediate effect is that cooling is better and it also provides better weight distribution. Equally important is that it contributes to how the aerodynamic lines can be laid out in the body of the car, which can be done in a somewhat alternative way.
Ferrari is also interested in this, as a rumour recently revealed that they are working on a completely new concept for 2022. This is partly based on Mercedes' idea.
Visit of Alonso
Fernando Alonso recently visited Renault's engine factory in Viry and, as always, pictures were taken and shared online. In one of the photos, however, a new engine concept can be seen in the background, giving the impression that the manufacturer is working on an alternative. Motorsport.com asked for more information about this picture.
The person in charge of the engine department, Remi Taffin, confirmed the question that a switch to a new power source is indeed being considered. Taffin says: "The simple answer is yes. We could be going down that route….I'm pretty sure you've seen some photos, so I'm not going to lie. We are evaluating."