Ferrari took a “systematic” approach to the design of the new F1 engine

Ferrari broke into its worst season in 40 years in 2020 as it struggled with both a dragging SF1000 car and an underperforming engine, the latter a result of a private deal with the FIA ​​over the 2019 engine.

It limited Ferrari to sixth place in the constructors’ championship and only three podium places, while the customer teams Alfa Romeo and Haas finished eighth and ninth, respectively.

Ferrari developed a completely new engine ahead of the 2021 season after the regulations prevented updates during the season last year, so it can focus on each individual area to make improvements.

“We tried to take a systematic approach and involve all of our departments – planning, simulation, development, track – looking for a way to improve,” explained Ferrari’s head of propulsion unit Enrico Gualtieri.

“We identified the things that we could work on later, after looking at the most important ones, without forgetting the impact any decision would have on reliability.

“That is why we worked intensively with the chassis engineers on the design of the engine and tried to make the overall project for the car as efficient as possible.”

Gualtieri explained how Ferrari had managed to find an increase in power of over a tenth of a second per lap in the main engine alone.

“We have worked continuously on the internal combustion engine to increase its thermal efficiency with the help of our partner Shell, which has resulted in an estimated advantage of over a tenth of a second per lap,” he said.

Ferrari SF21 detail

Photo by: Ferrari

“The turbo compressor was adapted to the needs of the engine and at the same time we planned to increase the efficiency of the exhaust gas recovery.

“We are also working on the hybrid system, the electronic part, trying to revise and optimize all components.

“The season we are starting also has a preparatory phase for the new regulations, in which the engine development hours have been shortened even further. These regulations encourage us to be prepared at an early stage and to introduce most of the possible developments as early as the first race.

“We have put tremendous energy into this project, but at the same time we are working hard on the engine for 2022. It will debut next year, and it will be even more important because it will be with us at least.” Three years of racing. “

After last year’s engine proved to be by far the slowest in a straight line, Ferrari F1 boss Mattia Binotto said at the team launch last month that initial data suggested that this had been resolved for 2021.

“Based on our simulations today, based on what we can see from the wind tunnel in terms of the dyno power output and the car’s drag from the wind tunnel, I think we’ve regained quite a bit of speed on the straights,” said Binotto.

“So I don’t expect speed to be as much of an issue as it was. We hope to be competitive, but we don’t know that until we’re in Bahrain because it’s always relative to what the others are doing.

“But we believe our car is certainly more efficient compared to the one we had last year, and when I say efficient again, it is both from an aerodynamic point of view and from a drive unit point of view.”