Ferrari is considering a completely new concept of its power unit for 2022, which includes a new position of the compressor that has not been seen in Formula 1 so far, reports Autosport.
After having the weakest power unit last year, Ferrari has prepared a new engine for this season that should correct the weaknesses of its predecessor, and they spent development tokens on redesigning the rear end to narrow the area around the gearbox.
But for 2022, Ferrari plans to go a step further and change the long-standing concept with turbocharger and compressor behind the engine, as does Renault, while Mercedes has a compressor on the front of the engine since the start of the 2014 hybrid era.
The solution with a separate compressor from the turbocharger requires the placement of the MGU-H within the V-angle of the engine, between the compressor and the turbo, and after two seasons, Honda switched to such a concept in 2017.
The project of the new engine is led by Wolf Zimmermann, and another big change is the position of the compressor, which would not only be separated from the turbocharger at the rear of the engine but would be located in the intake box above the engine where it would be even more thermally insulated.
In addition to this advantage, the radical placement of the compressor would allow for an even more compact power unit design which would bring the aerodynamic advantages that are a key performance differentiator in today’s F1.
Ferrari had the worst season since 1980 last season when they also finished sixth in the constructors’ standings without a single win, and overall it was the third season in the hybrid era in which they failed to win a race after 2014 and 2016.
