A year ago, McLaren-Honda spent the Barcelona weeks of testing in the garage most of the time. Twelve months later, the new Honda team Toro Rosso unwound the most kilometers of all participants. How did Honda get the curve? And what to expect from the Japanese?
Do you remember the test drives a year ago? Since McLaren Honda managed 878 miles on 8 test days. Honda about matching products on heated five engines. The McLaren spent most of the time in the garage. A year later, the Honda V6 turbo is in a Toro Rosso, and McLaren now drives with Renault power. Although a winter break in Barcelona in the first week of testing only 3 days allowed regular test operation and also because the conditions were not optimal, there was already a winner. And his name was Honda.
Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley have completed 1,508 kilometers in the Toro Rosso-Honda. Almost as much as McLarenHere's about matching products on 2017 in twice as much time. There was not a problem in the drive at the test gallop of the new partners. The Honda six-cylinder ran and ran and ran. As if the defect series of the last three years never existed.
But why did the Japanese suddenly get the turn? Actually, Honda was already at the end of 2016 on a good path. But then three things happened. Honda changed half of the engineering team before the 2017 season, wanted to reach for the stars with a new engine concept and was forced by McLaren to some conversions, which turned out to be fatal in retrospect. For example, a too large compressor and a motor control, which has thermally stressed the engine too much.
Honda has a free hand at Toro Rosso. The priority over the winter was to ensure reliability. Therefore, Honda built the current engine on the foundation of the previous year's engine. And for the past nine months has also been receiving external expertise. It is no secret that Ilmor helps the Japanese in the combustion process.
In addition, they said goodbye to McLaren's special wishes. With the success that Toro Rosso set the distance record of the first week of testing with 322 laps. Just ahead of Mercedes with 306 laps and Ferrari on with 298 laps. Incidentally, McLaren ranks seventh with a 260-lap Renault engine.
The Honda V6 has also gained moderate power. The big boost should come with the first expansion stage. At Red Bull, it is expected that Honda will ride on par with Renault. For Toro Rosso, the compact engine from the Sakura development center proved a blessing. "That made integration into the chassis easier. If we had to change from Honda to Renault, it would have been more difficult, "reveals Chief Technology Officer James Key. In other words, the drive unit from Renault is bigger and heavier.
Toro Rosso is now a factory team
From Honda come not only free house engines, but also a development grant. Toro Rosso is now almost a factory team. For the first time since entering Formula One in 2006. Team Principal Franz Tost is pleased: "We have the engine exclusively. This is a great opportunity for a team for us. "Key adds," It's also a big responsibility. "
The engineers have been in the conversion of the car after the many changes of engine partners in the last four years. The Honda solution was ready in July. That's how you could think about the design office in Faenza. The Honda V6 Turbo was known to be similar in its architecture to the Mercedes engine. Compressor and turbine are separated, the MGU-H sits on a shaft in between.
From September, there was clarity. After a two-day crash course with Honda engineers, the already-designed chassis on its rear side was adapted to the new engine and a new gearbox was built. "We already had later engine decisions and thus more difficult tasks," smiles Key. The end product, the new Toro Rosso STR13, the Englishman would rewrite as: "An evolution in front, completely new behind."
Intercultural technology exchange
Red Bull Junior Team has to get used to the new partner. The distance to Sakura is greater than to Viry-Chatillon. The language barrier is bigger. Maybe it helps that English is the second language for both the Italians at Toro Rosso and for the Japanese. To better understand the culture of the Japanese, Toro Rosso took tutoring lessons on how to work best with a Japanese corporation.
They are not afraid of continuing the breakdown series in Faenza. "I'm convinced that Honda has the capacity and the knowledge to develop the engine that we can get where we want to go," Tost says. And where is that? "The top three teams are their own league. From the 4th place there is an open fight. Our goal must be to land as far forward as possible in this big midfield. "
https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... ssig-test/
