As part of the new regulations of the highest category of motorsport, Formula 1 cars must use E10 fuel in the 2022 season, a mixture of 90% fossil materials and 10% ethanol.
The modification was expected to result in a decrease in the power that the engines would deliver, but the manufacturers have hinted that they were able to recover all that loss.
Honda member Yasuaki Asagi led the development of the Japanese power unit and remains involved in the revamped project with Red Bull, and is skeptical about it.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, the Japanese gave no hint as to how much power the engines will lose in 2022 because of the change: “That’s a secret.”
“It seems that other companies say that it is more or less the same, but saying it means that it is difficult to get the same power as last season,” said the employee of the company from the country of the rising sun.
Asagi also assured that they face quite a challenge, but there are some benefits that are hidden: “The response to E10 fuel is the biggest challenge. The architecture of the power unit had already been established, so we have made modifications to obtain best performance with this new feed.
“When it comes to E10 fuel, the power and energy that you have with the same weight is reduced, that’s the characteristic of it,” he explained. “On the other hand, combustion is going to be easier to control.”
Asagi confirmed the work on the 2022 engine had been finalized at the end of last year: “There are always small details and corrections if there are problems, but if the design had not been finished when the previous season was over, it would not arrive on time.”
