What you omit in that description is that the token system was removed for the 2017 season. Honda took that opportunity to completely redesign the PU for that year. The block was redesigned, the crank, connecting rods, pistons, turbo was resized and split placing the compressor in the front of the ICE, MGU-H in the middle, turbine was left in the back, with a long spindle running front to back and obviously the heads. I'm sure that required a complete redesign of the intake as well.TyreSlip wrote: ↑26 Sep 2024, 18:05In 2017, Honda fell further behind the competition because its pre-injection chamber technology did not work as anticipated (too many vibrations). They perfected it with the monocylinder design and assumed it would scale to the 6 cylinder F1 motor, and it didn't without problems. IIRC, Honda did not tell McLaren about this setback until pre-season testing, and McLaren could barely do any kilometers of testing. The entire season was compromised leading to the McLaren/Honda divorce.Otromundo wrote: ↑26 Sep 2024, 15:43That Honda shows an apparently "perfect" cylinder but then the engine breaks down sounds familiar to me. I don't remember if it was with the "size-zero" McL or with the motorcycles... Then came the crying and gnashing of teeth... for not having tested the complete engine!! But I don't remember the cause.
Of Course, the then McLaren team thought that Honda could completely redesign and build a new PU and not have far more reliability problems than other team's PUs. Really 2017, for Honda, was their 2014.
If you go back and look, Merc started on the regs in 2011. They were ready for 2014. Honda only came to an agreement with McLaren in late 2012.
It's also why the FIA have kept the regs close to their chest this time and announce a CAP.