bluechris wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 14:48
ringo wrote: ↑14 Apr 2025, 06:29
Hamilton mentioned that he never use engine braking settings before at Mercedes and that the Ferrari requires it.
Does any know more about this difference between the PUs?
Max mentions it for the Honda engine also.
Why does the Merc not need these settings changeable by the drivers?
I am assuming it's an off throttle and MGU mapping to manipulate the engine braking.
I am a bit confused here. He said "
I’ve been using engine braking, which I’ve never ever used in my previous years. " and this is the part i dont really get. Since the beginning of the hybrid Era and the MGU-K, the rear brakes became smaller because the braking is huppening for a huge percentage from the engine to harvest energy for the batteries, so what he is saying here? How is MB doing this when you brake? they brake with the discs? i mean they have created a so perfect brake balance by disks and engine braking combination that its a set&forget setting?
Its hard to believe that in my mind... i think he wanted to say something different as matter the harvesting.
It's an area that doesn't appear to have much discussion in depth.
It sounded as if he meant (I'm, like everyone disecting his words) that he'd not used a specific control to alter this before. Often something like this would have a native /nominal setting in application, with a adjustment placing "gain" shift of positive or negative from that latent position. It sounds, from what he said, that MB have that essentially automated and possibly by link into brake bias algorithm etc.
Ferrari, again from his words, there's some scope of preference in individual adjustment if I understand it the way he spoke.
It's a productive area I believe. With retardation through transmission (both regeneration and pu friction) is active through the differential gear set, meaning it can be different across that axle when applied.
Scenario:- if that pu brake effect applied in straight line and equal tyre traction, then it'll be equal. If though its applied with chassis leaning to increasing outside wheel traction, subsequently less on inside wheel (this is actioned by anti roll mechanism) then with diff open, as they use to enhance turn in response, the inside wheel will be retarded through that differential gear set to effectively turn the chassis by that torque application.
In the situation the engineer discussed with LH indicating that CL was off throttle earlier, and into turn phase, that engine brake would be helping to steer the chassis into the corner through its action. Increasing the set point of "engine brake" would trim that response.
As someone pointed out MV is often commenting on this in downshift action etc. If you watch him carefully he's an enormous range in facilitating this from dry hot race conditions to wet track, being much more gentle and "elongated" in this characteristic when wet. There seems to be much scope in this area in understanding it.
CL also seems to be notably fluid in that initial phase of turn in too. Perhaps there's something to learn for LH here specifically. He said as much in the interviews, about how different it is in this PU landscape.
Identification is his first step to understand and accommodation, so looks like valuable seed has been planted to nurture there.
