Ferrari have explained why they took an "even more daring" approach to the design of their new power unit. The Scuderia unveiled their 2022 challenger, the F1-75, on 17 February. Given the new technical regulations being introduced into Formula 1 for the upcoming season, there were clear differences in the car's appearance, prompting drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to praise its "aggressive" look . It is not just the exterior of the car that has changed, though. Enrico Gualtieri, the head of the power unit at Ferrari, has explained how the new rules affected the engine's design. "The power unit on the 2022 car is doubly significant," Gualtieri said following the team's launch event. "On the one hand, we had to adapt to the change of rules through a specific installation and layout. On the other, we had to develop our product to the fullest, given the subsequent freezing of the PU until the next regulatory review. "The result is an unconventional project, extreme in terms of vehicle installation, layout and many of the internal parts."
Key innovations on the new engine
Gualtieri has outlined the most important innovations on the power unit, with some being particularly vital at the beginning of the season. "The Internal Combustion Engine and the Turbocharger are definitely the key elements of the 2022 power unit at the start of the season," he explained. "The hybrid system is another step in the evolution we brought to the track at the end of last season. The electronics have had to change a lot, too, having to adapt to the needs of a completely new car concept and an engine that is very different from last year's. "It represents the third step of our development path. The first stage was the engine at the beginning of last season, the second was the evolution of the hybrid system, brought to the track at the end of 2021."
Impact of the engine freeze on design
Another factor that the design team had to address for 2022 was the engine freeze coming into effect, which means that the power unit specifications will be locked in until the end of 2025. This, Gualtieri says, has led Ferrari to push the boundaries more. "It has certainly made an impact," Gualtieri said in regards to how the engine freeze affected the design. "Let us say that, compared with past years, it has stimulated, even forced us, to go for even more daring design solutions, given the significant time limits, in particular the coming freeze. "We have had to take all our programmes to the absolute limit. We have had to keep the door open for all possible evolutions, right until the last moment. We have certainly had to take all the necessary risks. "Let's say we had to speed up our development even more in a world that is already going at a thousand miles an hour."
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