https://jp.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-20 ... /10580541/
The role Honda/HRC played in the "super aggressive" design of the Red Bull RB20. Tetsushi Kakuda LPL: "By raising the thermal limit of the engine, we should be able to contribute indirectly."
(note the names have been corrected from Google Translate version. The translation may also be confusing in certain phrases)
Red Bull's 2024 machine RB20 has become a hot topic for its bold and aggressive design, and the development achieved by Honda/HRC seems to have contributed in no small part to its realization.
Executive Chief Engineer Tetsushi Kakuda , who serves as LPL (Large Project Leader) of the F1 project at Honda Racing (HRC), explains the development that has been carried out in terms of power units (PUs) in preparation for the 2024 season. He revealed that he has been raising the temperature limit when driving.
Red Bull showed overwhelming strength last year, setting a new record for annual winning percentage with 21 wins from 22 races. They didn't rest on their laurels and surprised many with their innovative 2024 RB20 car. The opening of the side pontoon has become very small, and a new opening is prepared at the base of the halo. It also performed extremely well in the pre-season test in Bahrain that was held the other day.
"Until recently, we didn't even know that they were making a car with a concept so different from last year."
That's what HRC's LPL Kakuda said about the RB20, and there's no doubt that Honda/HRC also made a big contribution to that aggressive design.
"The most important thing is that there is a competition called reliability development to maximize the potential. By conducting durability tests, we can check the operating limits... in other words, ``to what extent can it be used?'' By doing so, we are developing to maximize the potential."
So says Kakuda LPL.
"When the engine gets hot, the parts reach their strength limits and break. Therefore, if the engine gets too hot, you have no choice but to reduce the output. The balance point, As a result of confirming how high the operating temperature can be raised without reducing output, I can tell the team, ``You can use it up to this point.''
If the operating temperature limit of the engine can be raised, this means that the required cooling performance will be reduced. In other words, it contributes to the miniaturization of the radiator, which in turn contributes to the miniaturization of the bodywork. Kakuda LPL continues.
``For example, a radiator that can be operated at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius is different in size from a radiator that can be operated up to 110 degrees Celsius. In the sense of increasing the degree of freedom in the design of the vehicle, we would like to contribute to improving the performance of the vehicle body, albeit indirectly. That is what we are doing."
LPL Kakuda says that for the 2024 season, they informed Red Bull that the heat limit could be raised during the development stage of the car body.
"Even if we talk about this at the stage when the cooler design has been completed, it won't make much of a contribution to the aero package associated with waste heat."
"However, this time, we were given that information before we even designed the cooler. I think that information is being fed back within the team. That's how this year's new car is being completed. ”
``The new Red Bull car that appeared in the test the other day had a significantly changed concept and a more aggressive design.I thought this was exactly what F1 is, and Red Bull is a team worthy of being champion. That's what I felt once again.It's hard to tell how strong we are relative to other teams just by looking at the time results, but I think HRC will be fully prepared to start this season."
Didn't HRC make a significant contribution to the RB20's "aggressive" design? When asked about this, LPL Kakuda answered modestly.
"No, no. From our standpoint, it's difficult to say that we've made a significant contribution. But I'd like to think we've made a small contribution."
The RB20 that ran in the test is still in its preliminary form, and the design will be further improved by introducing a large-scale update around the Japanese GP...One theory is that it will be a "zero pod" like the one used by Mercedes until the middle of last year. There are also rumors that it might look like this.
To achieve that, the radiator would need to be made even smaller. When I asked LPL Kakuda whether there was "leeway" in the thermal limit at the moment, he replied:
``What to do with the car is a team issue.However, when we drive, we try to get the maximum performance, so we will try to get the maximum benefit out of the opening round, Bahrain GP, and the second round, Saudi Arabia GP. In other words, I think they will compete with an aero package that takes into account our temperature limits.”
"However, I'm not sure if we're going to make major changes during the season because there will probably be cost cap issues. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens."
By the way, the engine's air intake is done through the roll hoop opening, as before, rather than through the new opening at the base of the halo.
