Tech F1i – Under the Singapore lights

McLaren MCL32 F1 Engine

TORO ROSSO SET FOR THIRD ENGINE SUPPLIER IN AS MANY YEARS

Also confirmed last Friday was Toro Rosso’s switch from Renault power to the Honda unit initially planned for McLaren as part of a 10-year contract that was terminated after only three seasons.

Next year’s RA168H should be an evolution of the 2017 model, with the power plant set to keep a split-turbo design whereby the turbine and compressor are separate elements that connect with a shaft on which the MGU-H is mounted.

However, the compressor is no longer housed within the ‘Vee’ of the engine, i.e. in between the two cylinder banks. The component now features at the front of the assembly, like on the Mercedes power unit. The new layout allows for a bigger compressor (which had been Honda’s Achilles heel) in order to deliver more power while facilitating cooling.

All the above has proved to be only theoretical so far though, and Honda has been toiling mightily amid recurrent issues. While dyno testing initially gave positive results, introducing a pre-chamber technology led to heavy vibrations, which in turn weakened the MGU-H, especially in the early stages of the season. After refusing McLaren’s counsel to seek help from Mercedes, Honda called on Ilmor to fix the problems. But when the updates introduced in Spain, Canada, and Belgium failed to deliver the expected results and improvements, the writing was on the wall for the McLaren-Honda partnership.

Toro Rosso can only hope that these flaws will be eliminated on next year’s power unit, with Red Bull keeping an eye on the proceedings ahead of a potential switch in 2019. After running year-old Ferrari units in 2016 and current-spec Renault power plants this season, the Faenza-based outfit teams up with a third different engine supplier in as many years.