Ferrari, Renault, and Honda are set to introduce upgraded engines during the Canadian GP. Mercedes has announced that the new specification engines will not be introduced in Canada after discovering “quality issues”.

New Engines In Canada and Power Unit Elements Usage

In the 2018 season only three engines are allowed for 21 races. The rule change reducing the number of engines each driver can use this season caused a lot of anguish among the teams before the season started. So managing the engine usage throughout the season without incurring engine penalties is vital.

The rules for the usage of the six Power Unit Elements that constitute the F1 engine for 2018 is: Drivers can use 3 ICE (internal combustion engine), 3 TC (turbo charger), 3 MGU-H (motor generator unit heat), 2 MGU-K (motor generator unit kinetic), 2 ES (energy store) and 2 CE (control electronics) without penalties.

Engine Usage After the Monaco GP

New Engines in Canada

Teams have to manage the engine use and make each power unit last for seven races atleast. Mercedes planned to use the first engine for their drivers for the first six races. Then reuse the same engine again at a non-power circuit like the Hungaroring later. The Silver Arrows wanted to introduce their second upgraded engine for the power circuit in Canada.

But the plans to do so has been postponed due to “quality issues” with the new specification engine. Ferrari is set to intorduce the upgraded engines for their drivers. The Ferrari customer teams, Sauber and Haas F1, used their second ICE, TC and MGU-H in Monaco itself.

Renault will also introduce an upgraded engine here. Honda‘s sole customer, Toro Rosso, will be fitted with upgraded engines this weekend. The new Honda engine is supposed to deliver additional horsepower and improve driveability. The Honda upgrades are centered around the internal combustion engine (ICE).

Lack of New Engines For Mercedes

The Merecdes drivers are at a disadvantage on this power track without upgraded new engines compared to their rivals. The long straights in Canada requires drivers to be on the throttle 60% of the lap. Mercedes engines have the mileage of six race weekends and might have a power deficit compared to a new engine.

Lewis Hamiton said: “This is a power circuit, there is power loss. All I’m hoping for is reliability. I’m on the seventh race, difficult circuit on the engine. I just want to see it through. Naturally I’m still here to win. But if [our rivals] have got upgrades in their engines which can be a tenth to two-tenths, Ferrari are particularly very strong on the straights… it’ll be interesting to see whether we’re able to match them. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Daniel Ricciardo is aiming to avoid engine penalties for replacing his damaged MGU-K in Monaco by reusing an old MGU-K for this race.

FIA Engine Regulations

If a driver uses more than the allowed number of elements for each component of the Power Unit (PU) these are the penalties:

• The first time a driver uses an additional element over and above the prescribed limits, a ten-place grid penalty will be given. If he then uses other additional elements a five-place penalty (or penalties) is imposed. Use yet a further example of any given element and another ten-place penalty is received – and so on.
• During any single event, if a driver introduces more than one of a power unit element that is subject to a grid penalty, only the last element fitted may be used at subsequent events without further penalty.

Drivers will try to manage all season with the PU elements allowed and avoid penalties. If penalties have to be taken, drivers will take it at tracks where overtaking is easy like Spa.

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