Formula 1 has recently entered a new technical era with the 2022 regulations, but as often happens, humans tend to constantly turn their attention to the future, in this case to 2026 engines. More than a whim of human nature, however, the current interest in the next generation of power units is a real necessity, given the long development times required for the engines. Furthermore, although the regulations have not yet been published, the news that is filtering it anticipates a substantial revolution, where in order not to be caught unprepared, the engineering challenge between motorists will have to start years in advanceif it has not already started.
In 2026 the configuration of the heat engine will remain almost unchanged, but the concept of the power unit as a whole will change radically. Electric power will rise to just under 500 horsepower, going from the current 120 kW to the plausible 350 kW, an increase equal to almost three times the current value. Since the deliverable power is limited by the regulation, the competition on the hybrid front will not be fought so much on absolute chivalry, but on energy efficiency. This is an aspect that is never negligible even on the current power units, but at the moment it struggles to emerge until it reaches the external observer, while from 2026 it will be much more perceptible by the spectators. For those less familiar with the terminology, energy efficiency indicates the ratio between the input energy in a component and the output energy deprived of all internal dissipations. Simply speaking, an efficiency of 60% assumes that out of 100 kW delivered by the battery only 60 kW are actually available as drive power to the wheels.
The most advanced modern electric motors show a particularly high electrical efficiency, which is nearly 97%, well above, for example, 30% of a common combustion engine. One might therefore wonder why efficiency research can become so relevant on machines that are already extremely efficient from the start. The best answer is the one recently given a FormulaPassion.it from Riccardo De Filippi, responsible for Marelli Motorsport: “The less efficient I am, the warmer I become and the more I have to cool down. On a system of hundreds of kilowatts, saving even a fraction of a percentage leads to not having to dissipate kilowatts of energy: it is all heat that must be dissipated and being able to reduce the radiant masses is extremely important. It is true, the electric motor has efficiencies over 97%, while the inverter is over 99%, when instead a normal heat engine now has about 40%, even if in Formula 1 it has exceeded 50%. The efficiencies, however, all multiply between them, so I have to multiply that of the battery for the inverter and for the motor, so it is a moment that the values are lowered. Even a single percentage point can make a difference ”.
Any progress in terms of efficiency therefore involves handfuls of less kW of heat to be dissipated to the radiators, allowing for a downsizing that benefits the freedom of aerodynamic designers. The reduction of waste also means less overheating of the components of the hybrid, removing the risk of derating, or self-weakening of the engine to prevent permanent damage, among others.. The main aspect, however, is the containment of energy losses, which implies more energy useful for motion. Therefore, if in the combustion engine the developments traditionally increase the available cavalry, in the electric engine these retain the same maximum power but extend the exploitation times, limiting the use of clipping or conservative driving techniques such as lift and coast. These considerations are already valid on the current power units, but which from 2026 will acquire even more depth, with a more evident impact on the competitiveness of the car package.
Tommaso Volpehead of Nissan Motorsport and the respective program in Formula E, confirms that the issue of electric efficiency will take on greater relevance on the next generation of power units: “If you look at the technical specifications currently in force in Formula 1, the electrical component does not have a particularly important importance in terms of contribution to the delivered power. There is a contribution to regeneration and torque, but the power levels are somewhat limited in relation to the combustion engine. With the regulations coming in 2026, however, the heat engine and the electric one will go on the same level, with a similar power, so efficiency will begin to be fundamental there too. Also in Formula 1 they will begin to give the same weight to the efficiency of the powertrain, as well as what is fundamental for us ”. According to Volpe, this evolution will increase the technology transfer between Formula 1 and Formula E, to the benefit of the automotive groups engaged in both categories. The Alpine-Nissan duo, both under the aegis of Renault, could therefore benefit from the double presence, like Porsche if the German company decided to extend its commitment in the electric world championship beyond 2024. The Formula E teams would therefore place themselves in the as a research and development division in the field of electric motors for the respective Formula 1 teams. This is what has been confirmed Ian JamesTeam Principal of Mercedes in Formula E, an adventure now nearing the end for the Star: “I think the impressive aspect is that by removing the combustion engine part, it was possible to focus on the electric motor only. This exclusive attention has made it possible to obtain gains in the part concerning electric technology “.
Advances in efficiency can be built on several foundations. Undoubtedly among these are the materials and construction techniques, such as the arrangement of the copper coils of the electric motor, whose compactness tends to decrease energy losses but at the same time increases weight. There is however then a great research work in the software field, with the calibration of the control and distribution strategies of the current, voltage and other parameters associated with the hybrid system, able to define a more efficient energy use. To get an idea of the potential of such research, just think that in 2019 Jaguar developed a software update for its all-electric model I-Pace, which resulted in an 8% extension of the vehicle’s range. equal to 30 km. It is no coincidence that in Formula E, where powertrains are subject to two-year homologation cycles, the engineering competition in the current season focuses precisely on software development, conditioning the competitiveness of the cars on a par with what happens with the well-known aerodynamic updates in Formula 1.
The field of challenge among the engineers is therefore destined to change in view of 2026. This is not an impoverishment, as aspects already present on the current generation of engines will grow, including that of electrical efficiency. All this without reducing the importance of the thermal engine which, on the contrary, although it deviates little from its current architecture, between new fuels and supercharging changes will be subject to a major revision of the combustion process.
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