Honda reveals fast-tracked F1 power unit upgrade introduced at Spa
Honda has revealed it introduced a fast-tracked upgrade for its Formula 1 power unit energy store to Max Verstappen’s car at Spa last month, boosting his championship challenge.
Honda will quit F1 at the end of the season following a seven-season stint back in the series, during which it has worked with McLaren, Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
Red Bull has a chance to give Honda a farewell championship as it goes head-to-head with Mercedes for the constructors’ title, as well as seeing Verstappen in the thick of the fight for the drivers’ crown.
Honda worked to fast-track a number of its power unit developments initially planned for the 2022 season onto its 2021 design, bringing forward upgrades to assist its customer teams.
The latest step forward arrived last month at the Belgian Grand Prix when years of development led to the introduction of a new energy store that debuted on Verstappen’s car. Under the current regulations, each power unit component can be upgraded once per season.
Honda revealed on Wednesday ahead of the Russian Grand Prix that the new energy store had been introduced two races ago at Spa.
“This new energy store has been developed in a project that has taken several years, with an aim to combine improvements in energy efficiency with significant reductions in weight,” said Honda’s head of power unit development, Yasuaki Asaki.
“In what will be the company’s final season in the sport, Honda F1 has managed to introduce the new ES - fitted with a lighter, low-resistance, highly efficient and ultra-high power battery cell - just in time for the start of the second half of the season.
“In order to achieve the ultimate goal of defeating Mercedes and winning the championship before leaving F1 at the end of the 2021 season, we recognised the need to enhance performance.
“As such, the development plan for the new energy store was brought forward substantially from the original goal of 2022 to introduction during the 2021 season.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Erik Junius
Verstappen used the updated energy store to take pole position in the wet at Spa, before being declared the winner of the two-lap race following heavy rain. Verstappen also started on pole at Monza before a clash with Hamilton forced him to retire from the race.
Honda said that the introduction of the new energy store this year was a “massive undertaking” due to the long lead times involved in the part design, which received full support from Honda’s road car battery development team.
“Even after Honda leaves F1, this new battery technology will contribute hugely to Honda’s future technology to create a carbon neutral society, lead the advancement of mobility and enable people everywhere in the world to improve their daily lives,” Asaki said.
Red Bull will take over Honda’s power unit IP at the end of the year and serve as its own supplier from 2022, forming its own Red Bull Powertrains division.
Related video
Previous article
Ferrari to debut updated F1 hybrid system at Russian GP
Next article
Perez: One-year F1 deal doesn’t heap extra pressure on me
The details that boosted Verstappen and held back Hamilton in Austin
As the 2021 Formula 1 title battle winds towards its climax, the United States GP added another thrilling act in the Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen battle. Although Hamilton aced the start, Verstappen and Red Bull took the initiative with strategy and were richly rewarded, despite Mercedes' best efforts as the race went down to the wire
US Grand Prix Driver Ratings
On a baking hot afternoon in Texas, Formula 1 drivers were tested to their limits. As the pressure on the title contending squads reaches an ever-greater level of intensity, the foremost challengers again showed their class, but were outshone by a standout drive from the upper midfield
The 10 greatest drives of lost legend Jo Siffert
It's 50 years since Jo Siffert was killed in his prime at Brands Hatch. The Swiss scored just two world championship wins in a Formula 1 career spent largely with privateer teams, but showed on numerous occasions in single-seaters and in sportscars with Porsche that he could beat any of the best drivers of his era given the right equipment.
Why a misunderstood Kimi Raikkonen will thrive in retirement
Three years on from Kimi Raikkonen's last Grand Prix victory at Austin, he is now six races away from ending the longest Formula 1 career in history. His friend and former Ice1 Racing rally team PR man Anthony Peacock explains why there’s nobody quite like the 2007 world champion and why F1 will miss him (but he won’t miss it).
How Verstappen has become F1 champion material
As Red Bull and Honda go all-out for victory in the Japanese engine manufacturer’s last season of its latest Formula 1 dalliance, Max Verstappen finds himself thrust into a compelling title fight with Lewis Hamilton. He told OLEG KARPOV about his evolution into a world championship contender and why Red Bull's no compromise ethos suits him down to the ground
Why long-run times should please Red Bull in Austin F1 battle
Mercedes has been on a roll of late in the ultra-tight fight to win the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It started off well in practice at Austin for this weekend’s US Grand Prix, but Red Bull got closer as Friday unfolded and even seemed to find an edge in one critical area of what seems set to be set to be another close contest.
The six critical factors that could hand F1 2021 glory to Hamilton or Verstappen
The 2021 Formula 1 title battle is finely poised with six races remaining, as just six points separate championship leader Max Verstappen from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. In such a closely-fought season, the outcome could hinge on several small factors playing the way of Red Bull or Mercedes
Can Whitmarsh appointment help Aston succeed where its F1 rivals failed?
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is determined to make the group a billion-dollar business. MARK GALLAGHER analyses his latest play – bringing former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh into the fold
