The power unit freeze in Formula One begins this season, meaning the engine specification used in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix will be contested for four seasons, know the schedule of engine freeze in F1
Some parts of the power unit can be modified until September of this year. But after that, manufacturers won’t be able to make any further modifications, at least in terms of performance. The net impact is that throughout the period of the freeze. The relative performance of the four power units utilized in F1 will stay constant.
F1 Engine Freeze Meaning, 2022-2025 Schedule Explained
What is an Engine Freeze?
The freeze effectively halts development by Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda, the four current Formula 1 power unit manufacturers (rebranded as Red Bull Powertrains).
Each power unit’s specs must be filed with the FIA in a process known as homologation. It entails creating a component that has been certified as legal and can be copied in manufacturing for use in races but cannot be modified thereafter.
“The only power unit that may be used at an event during the 2022-2025 championship seasons is a power unit that is constituted only of elements that were in conformity, at the date they were introduced in the race pool, with the most recently-submitted and approved homologation dossier as defined in Appendix 4 of the technical regulations,” according to the FIA F1 sporting regulations.
As detailed below, that appendix specifies how and when such adjustments can be made.
When does it last until?
The freeze will last through the seasons of 2023, 2024, and 2025, until new restrictions are implemented in 2026.
The 2026 power units will not be a significant departure from the existing V6 turbos. But they will be different, and developing them will take a lot of time.
There are two deadlines for homologation. The first deadline was March 1, 2022, by which time the ICE (V6 engine), turbo, MGU-H (motor generator unit โ heat), exhaust system, and fuel specification. And engine oil standards were to be frozen.
They do, however, have some time to work on other power unit parts this season. Because the second deadline of September 1, 2022. For specification upgrades to the control electronics, the energy store (battery), and the MGU-K (motor generator unit โ kinetic) remain.
There can be no more upgrades after then, or from 2023 to 2025.
Why does F1’s engine sometimes freeze?
The freeze was implemented to give the four present manufacturers time to shift their development focus away from their current power units. And toward the new 2026 rules.
Because even huge corporations have constrained R&D resources, working on two simultaneous initiatives makes little sense in terms of technological advances or financial rankings.
The existing rules have been in effect for nine seasons. And while the 2022 power units are a long way from the originals from 2014. There is only so much development potential remaining in them. And acquiring that final bit of performance will be costly.
Red Bull Powertrains has already been announced as one of the new manufacturers, having taken on the Honda project this season. While the Volkswagen Group is expected to enter F1 with either the Porsche or Audi brands.
Red Bull also fought hard for the freeze because it was seen as critical to persuading Honda to keep supplying its existing power units until 2025. Despite the lack of government backing.
Following Honda’s exit from F1 as an official engine manufacturer at the start of the 2022 season. The Japanese company’s power units will be branded as Red Bull Powertrains or RBPT.
Mercedes, Ferrari, and Renault are unaffected, with Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains providing the factory team, as well as McLaren, Williams, and Aston Martin.
Ferrari has a similar setup, producing its own power unit and distributing it to Alfa Romeo and Haas client teams. With the two brands controlled by the Renault group, Renault alone provides Alpine.
Can teams make a difference?
The guidelines state that certain alterations are authorized, but not those that would improve performance.
“During the homologation period, a manufacturer may apply to the FIA to make modifications to the homologated power unit elements for the only purposes of reliability, safety, cost savings, or small incidental alterations authorized in [Article] 5.4,” they say.
That article expressly mentions adjustments that may be required with respect to power unit installation in automobiles. Changes that may be required since automobiles will certainly evolve over the next three seasons.
The rules define this category as “wirings, exhaust system, provided the key defining parameters of the system (diameters and lengths) remain fundamentally unchanged,” “turbo-compressor position (within 20mm of the original position in relation to the ICE), turbo clocking, turbo supports, the position of the wastegates with housings and pipes,” and “position of the pop-off valves with housings and pipes.”
Although the technical regulations for power units are not expected to change in 2022-25, if they do, producers can make any required adjustments to comply: “After the commencement of homologation, an amendment to the published rules may be utilized to alter components affected by that amendment.”
“Changes of fuel and oil suppliers shall be permitted, providing such changes are made for commercial rather than performance reasons,” the guidelines state.
What happens if a major flaw is found?
If a manufacturer has a specific reliability issue, it must go through a lengthy process. In order to alter the item with the FIA’s complete approval.
The three other manufacturers will be informed of any requests and given the opportunity to comment as part of the process. Because of this openness, it’s less probable that anybody will utilize a reliability fix to boost performance.
“Applications must be submitted in writing to the FIA technical department. And must include all essential supporting material, including, where applicable, unambiguous evidence of failures,” according to the guidelines.
“The FIA will distribute the communication for comment to all power unit manufacturers.” If the FIA determines that these alterations are acceptable in its sole discretion. It will inform the power unit manufacturer involved.
“Wherever possible, such petitions should be filed at least 14 days prior to the desired homologation date.”
What is the new fuel, and how does it affect us?
F1 has been running on E10 gasoline since 2022, which contains 10% ethanol. Over the winter, manufacturers had to adjust the power units. And while there was some performance loss, the agreement is that the overall effect was neutral.
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