Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has developed a new power unit for the 2020 Formula 1 season, in an attempt to gain an advantage over their rivals.
This has proven difficult as the regulations surrounding the power unit have not changed since the introduction of the hybrid era in 2014.
Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-AMG high-performance powertrains explained, “We have had to develop an even wider area of the PU. We have looked at every single system.
“We have worked on a huge array of projects, and when summed together they will hopefully help propel the car around the track quicker and give the aerodynamics team more opportunities to improve as well.”
With the regulations not changing considerably for the past six years, it makes it difficult to come up with ideas that will improve performance and also reliability, Cowell added that achieving success in this area is largely down to one’s mindset.
“There is no such thing as perfection, there is always the opportunity to improve and all of us have that mindset.
“We’re always improving every detail – the materials, the hardware and ingredients, but also things like our design tools.
“You know there are areas where you can get better. Being self-critical and keeping an open mind is at the core of that mindset.”
As last year’s car struggled with cooling, the team have developed a new cooling package for this year.
“We are putting significant effort into making sure that all the cooling fluids on the Power Unit operate at a higher temperature,” said Cowell.
“This increases the temperature difference between that coolant fluid and the ambient temperature that we are racing in, which increases the effectiveness of the cooling system.”
