The most reliable Mercedes power unit in the past season was. In fact, several Brixworth-equipped cars have completed the championship without exceeding the three-unit seasonal limit, and they are the only ones to do so on the grid. However, reliability and power are just some of the parameters confirming the quality of the power unit. Indeed, Toto Wolff explained that in addition to aerodynamic and chassis problems, the 2022 W13 also sufferedAnd angry drive to check Regarding driving.
“During the year we also had some issues with the power unitWolf asserts. “We were dissatisfied with things like the power delivery and handling. Despite the development freeze, the engine team still managed to fine-tune performance, overcoming a challenging context in which the car’s bounces broke the engine. Despite that, we were very reliable and the engine was running well until the end of the season.” The Brixworth power unit highlighted flaws in the thermal and electrical power delivery curve, with incomplete pedal response or vice versa excessive aggressiveness during acceleration depending on the speed. An engine with poor drivability puts more stress on the rear tires, complicating wear and temperature management. Hywel Thomas, Head of Brixworth Engines, identifies the switch to fuels with 10% bio-components as one possible reason: “At the start of the season, the first big thing to address was a power unit freeze for the next four years. The second change was the fuel regulations. We knew it would affect us, as well as others. With these new features, we didn’t know where we would find ourselves. When he took us to the track, there was a bit of a letdown.”
The development freeze prevented Mercedes from working on the hardware, that is, the concrete components of the power unit. However, Brixworth engineers managed to work on other aspects, especially on the software side, to improve the performance of the power unit, not only in terms of power, but in terms of drivability. Spark plug timing, turbo control with MGU-H, hybrid charging strategies, and even software control of the batteries and electric motors allowed for small gains race after race. Thomas made special reference to i progress in terms of Designation, focusing on the team’s ability to find more exploitable parts of the energy with the hybrid system. Equally important was the integration between engine behavior and chassis needs: “What happened in all of this is it The importance of linking between the structure and the power unit. It cannot be developed separately. If you want to find performance from the engine without being able to meddle with the components, the power unit should mate better with the chassis. This is the area where some of the biggest progress has been made, especially in the second half of the season.”
Thomas finally commented on the porpoise’s implications for the power unit. Indeed, the W13’s throwbacks inflicted major engine jolts: “The underside of the bottom was clearly battered. When we saw some of the parts in Brixworth that were on the racing engines, it was absolutely amazing how many dings they fell to the ground. When we saw Louis and George get out of the car really uncomfortable because of the porpoises, it was more of the same for the power unit.” However, the Brixworth power units have been the most reliable of all, and are a major force from which to start again in 2023.
“Food expert. Unapologetic bacon maven. Beer enthusiast. Pop cultureaholic. General travel scholar. Total internet buff.”
