Shintaro Orihara, Honda F1 track manager: “We have to check it. In the worst case, we could have some restrictions on the engine operating conditions. But we are not worried”

The engine Sling is suffering in the first season of the current and new F1 regulations, in his return to Formula 1 alongside Aston Martin, with a great lack of performance compared to the rest of the motorists on the straight and with many aspects to improve. But in Mexico, the challenge is even greater due to the altitude at which the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is located.

This track is located at 2,238 meters above sea level.something that causes a decrease in air density of 25% compared to other tracks. This very differential characteristic of this location causes, among other effects, a large reduction in the downforce of the car (so teams must carry the maximum load packages) and it makes the turbo of the engines suffer a lot and makes it very difficult to cool the components of the entire car. (that’s why cars have more gills and cooling areas).

That is to say, it is a circuit of maximum demand for the thrusters, where there is a greater probability of reliability problems occurring for all the thrusters.

As for the engine, what suffers the most is the turbo. The turbine must rotate more to put the same mass of air into the compressor as in another Grand Prix. For its part, the compressor increases the density of the air with a higher concentration of oxygen so that the pressurized air extracts more power from the combustion engine.

Another key point is the cooling of the propellant. If the engine works harder, this generates a higher temperature, and therefore, a greater need for cooling. And we will have to pay special attention to the problems that Aston Martin had in Singapore with turbo lag, the time that elapses from when the pilot presses the accelerator until the turbocharger generates the necessary air pressure and the engine delivers all its power.

Honda applied some countermeasures in Austin to prevent this problem from reappearing and they worked. But it will be necessary to see if in such a critical circuit, that setback returns. For now, Shintaro Orihara, the Japanese motorcyclist’s track manager in F1, was optimistic and he made it clear that, after doing a lot of work and simulations in Sakura, this problem does not worry him. Although he reiterated that it will be the clue that will indicate whether he is right or not.

Altitude: “At the moment, I’m not worried”

“With this regulation, this will be the first time we compete in Mexico. Last year we had the MGU-H, which gave us some help, but this year we no longer have it, so it will be quite complicated. For example, even at idle, the MGU-H helped us get enough boost pressure. This year we don’t have that help, not even at idle, so there is a big difference compared to last year,” said Orihara.

“Then there is turbo lag, which is one of the most interesting and important issues on this circuit. I think not only Honda, but also all other manufacturers, will have difficulties managing turbo lag here. Furthermore, it is not just about turbo lag: normally, in Mexico, the turbocharger rotates at a very high speed to achieve sufficient air flow. “We have to check it, but in the worst case, we could have some restrictions on the engine operating conditions,” he added.

“At the moment, we have carried out many tests on the dyno and we believe that the impact on the engine operating conditions will be practically nil or very small. However, we will have to check it during free practice. It is something that could also affect other manufacturers. So It will be a major challengeboth due to the turbo lag and the operating conditions of the engine,” commented the Japanese engineer.

The turbo

“The turbocharger has certain limitations in terms of its operating speed. If we reach that limit, we can provide sufficient boost pressure, but that also limits the operating point. For now, we are not worried, although we will have to check it during free practice.”

Austin countermeasures improved turbo lag

“In Austin we introduced a countermeasure to reduce turbo lag and we were able to confirm that it was effective. It was something very positive for us before coming here. Additionally, at Sakura, our facilities in Japan, they continue to work intensively to optimize turbo response. We have many options to improve it. One of them is the MGU-K energy recovery strategy, but we can also act on how we use the pop-off valve and other devices. At Sakura they continue to work hard on all these possibilities to reduce turbo lag. Although we saw positive signs in Austin, this situation is completely different for us. That is why it will be very important to check how our turbo responds during free practice. In any case, I’m sure it’s not just a Honda problem, it affects all manufacturers.”

Trust to arrive prepared

Yes, we arrive as well prepared as possible. As I said, we have performed tests on the Sakura dyno to simulate the conditions we expect to find here. Therefore, We have an idea of ​​what can happen. But again, this will be the first time we compete at high altitude without the MGU-H. “It will be very interesting to see how our turbocharger performs on the track.”

Will the competitive order of engines in Mexico change?

“Are you referring to the performance compared to that of the other manufacturers? It will depend on how each one manages the operation of its turbocharger. It will be interesting to see it in free practice and in qualifying. It is possible that there will be changes, but I can’t say anything more for now.”