Ferrari introduces upgrades to its power unit
Ferrari introduces its latest development package for its home GP in Monza. The Scuderia upgraded more components of its power train in a bid to enhance its reliability. The new package leaves the Italian squad with no more tokens for the 2016 campaign.
Ferrari had three remaining tokens before the Italian GP weekend kicked off. The Scuderia have been working hard in recent weeks on an engine upgrade package which it intended to introduce on home soil in Monza.
The upgrade, which affected several parts of the power unit, aims to improve the reliability of the engine and less the improvement of pure power output as the fabled Italian squad was not completely happy with the reliability of certain components.
Both Ferrari drivers, Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel got a new internal combustion engine, new turbo charger, new MGU-H unit, new energy store and control electronics.
Ferrari’s customer Haas also got the new engine package in the form of new internal combustion engine, turbocharger and MGU-H. The Italian squad’s other customer, which uses the 2016-specification power unit, is Sauber, but the Swiss team decided to postpone the upgrade as it finds itself in a different cycle of power unit components.
Ferrari’s latest upgrade and its ‘hunger’ for early introductions of components put the team in a very difficult position for the remainder of the season.
Drivers have to complete the season with four pieces from every power unit components according the Sporting Regulation. However, that number was increased to five due to the previously unwitnessed longevity of the 2016 season.
Ferrari drivers are on the edge of their allocation. Sebastian Vettel is currently using his fifth ICE, turbo, MGU-H and Kimi Räikkönen his fifth MGU-K, MGU-H and turbo while from the other components they are both using their fourth one.
It means that the introduction of the sixth element from the most critical components seems to be inevitable. Austin seems to be a track from the forthcoming circuits where the damage limitation should be the easiest thanks to its overtaking spots.
As the introduction of three components (from the same cycle) means a grid drop of twenty places, Ferrari could also play the tactics Mercedes did in Spa a week ago by implementing multiple changes to build up a pool of several fresh components for the remainder of the season which could serve as testing the engine development directions teams want to take over the winter. If Ferrari decides to go that route, it could also use Sepang as its ‘sacrificial’ track because it takes places earlier than the United States GP and also offers relatively easy overtaking possibilities.
