HPD wrote: ↑28 Jun 2017, 00:59
So the question.. Why is the Honda engine so bad?
Then there is another idea, and it is just a theory BUT..
The fuel has many additives, one of which is OIL (see previous stories on extra tanks and bans for next year). Engines, tolerances and especially mapping are designed around fuel, oil and other additives that keep temperatures inside the cylinders down and results in a more reliable and predictable combustion. Understanding fuel, additives and they tiny details on how they effect combustion is ESSENTIAL to any mapping engineer.
Honda had developed all of its previous power units to specifically use Exxon-Mobil fuel but ahead of the 2017 season a very late switch to BP-Castrol fuel was needed after McLaren signed a new deal with the the British supplier. This would have been a massive blow. Engine tokens are ditched this year but this change needs real miles. Track time is non existent, and dynos are almost useless past producing a base map.
So I am going to say it… Have McLaren created a large chunk of the problems through a last minute trade deal?
Baku saw a new generation engine used, and SKY reported that they had bought it along basically as a dyno test. They retired and returned to the old engine because they feared the gearbox failure (power train oscillations in specific rev ranges anyone?) may have damaged the engine. It may have but I don’t think they ever intended on using it for the race. Just some track time.
#SteveBarbyF1
https://thejudge13.com/2017/06/27/why-a ... explained/
Paraphrasing HPDs post here, but I've had a feeling all season that at least some of honda's issues are related to the late switch to Castrol.
The chemistry involved in advanced fuels and lubes that they are using here are far from off the shelf and take years of development - I've been involved in lube oil development for some years, unfortunately for me I've never been in a position to understand F1 formulations.
Very likely that the fuel and lube have synergies, given that these engines have such narrow peak operating bands. I don't believe Castrol have quite the experience that ExxonMobil/Shell/Total have in this area - simply because they haven't been involved for the last few years these engine configurations have been used