As the team prepares for the whole new era of Formula 1, there are suggestions from Maranello that part of their plan includes a complete engine overhaul.
The Italian team was on their way back last year when a series of FIA technical instructions on fuel flow measurements resulted in a drop in performance.
The lack of competitiveness on the horsepower front, coupled with an excessively dragging car, resulted in Ferrari having its worst season in Formula 1 in decades.
Ferrari is working on an improved engine for 2021 which it hopes will reduce the deficit over the benchmark Mercedes powerplant. However, more ambitious work will be done for next year.
According to sources, Ferrari is ready to take a risk on an innovative engine that, if it worked, could prove to be a game changer in sport.
The work is the result of the efforts of Wolf Zimmermann, who was commissioned to design the unit that will power the cars of the new era.
One change that is expected to be adopted is that Ferrari is treading the Mercedes route of separating the compressor from the turbo – a layout that Honda also switched to a few years ago.
Both elements of the Ferrari are currently on the transmission side of the engine, but as of next year the two elements will be on either side of it – connected by a shaft.
But beyond this philosophical change, it goes without saying that Ferrari takes the idea one step further – and actually brings the compressor into the 6-cylinder intake box with a completely new arrangement for the intercooler.
Such a revolutionary change would not only bring performance gains, but also open up more aerodynamic possibilities as the entire engine layout was made more compact.
Reducing the size of the engine would also provide a weight advantage that could help with both the center of gravity and the location of ballast.
The new design idea will be a major challenge, both in terms of increasing performance and ensuring that reliability is not compromised.
While some at Ferrari have preferred the team to go ahead with a more traditional engine design and use an evolution of the version used in the SF21, the Italian team is determined to make the most of the possibilities offered by the new 2022 regulation .
