While teams still have to present their cars for the 2021 season, work is already being carried out for 2022 ahead of new technical regulations and it looks as though Ferrari are eyeing a radical engine concept in an attempt to improve their fortunes. The Scuderia were anything but competitive in 2020 as technical directives from the FIA regarding fuel flow measurements resulted in a drop in power. Ferrari's car struggled with drag and the team finished sixth in the constructors' standings, their worst finish since 1980. As a result Ferrari have worked hard to upgrade their power unit in 2021 in an attempt to catch up to the front of the grid, but Autosport reports an ambitious project for 2022 is being drawn up as well. Thanks to the work of Wolf Zimmermann, the Italian team are considering developing an innovative engine that could potentially define the new era of Formula 1. One of the key features would see Ferrari follow Mercedes and Honda and separate the compressor from the turbo. Ferrari's current setup has both elements on the gearbox side of the car, but next year the elements will be on either side of the car and connected by a shaft. The changes wouldn't stop there, as Ferrari are considering moving the compressor inside the six-cylinder intake box and rearranging the intercooler. The idea is that the change would improve performance while also opening the door for more aerodynamic options given the engine layout would be more compact. However the key to any changes would be to ensure that reliability isn't compromised at the expense of performance. Ferrari are keen to make the most of the regulation changes in order to compete from day one of the new era of F1, and while some within the team would have been happy with a more traditional approach, it looks like that won't be the case in 2022.
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