Power Unit Use – Update before Spain

On the Thursday before the Grand Prix in Barcelona (cue Todd’s Feddie Mercury clip) the FIA issued their regular report into the power unitelements used to date:

As discussed in the comments last time there were a lot of new power unit elements used for the first time in Russia, with Stoffel Vandoorne taking the first grid penalties in only the fourth race of the year.

Internal Combustion Engine – ICE new elements were fitted for the following seven drivers:

• Daniel Ricciardo;
• Max Verstappen;
• Romain Grosjean;
• Jolyon Palmer;
• Marcus Ericsson;
• Pascal Wehrlein.

This was the second ICE fitted for each of these drivers, leaving only the six Mercedes powered drivers on their original ICE for the race in Sochi.  Worrying when each element will need to last on average five complete race weekends.

Turbocharger – TC six drivers took their second TC at Sochi:

• Daniel Ricciardo;
• Max Verstappen;
• Kevin Magnussen;
• Marcus Ericsson;
• Pascal Wehrlein.

Four drivers fitted their third TC:

• Sebastian Vettel;
• Kimi Räikkönen;
• Fernando Alonso;
• Romain Grosjean.

Leaving Stoffel Vandoorne who fitted not only his fourth TC for Free Practice 1, but his fifth for the remainder of the weekend leading to a grid penalty.

Motor Generator Unit – Heat – MGU-H as for the TC, six drivers took their second MGU-H at Sochi:

• Daniel Ricciardo;
• Max Verstappen;
• Kevin Magnussen;
• Marcus Ericsson;
• Pascal Wehrlein.

Only two drivers fitted their third MGU-H:

• Fernando Alonso;
• Romain Grosjean.

Again Stoffel Vandoorne fitted his fourth MGU-H for Free Practice 1,and his fifth for the remainder of the weekend adding to his grid penalty.

Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic –  MGU-K no one fitted a new MGU-K over the Grand Prix weekend in Russia.

Energy Store – ES two drivers used their second ES over the Sochi weekend:

• Esteban Ocon;
• Felipe Massa.

While Stoffel Vandoorne fitted his third ES element,

Control Electronics – CE three drivers needed their second CE of the year in Russia:

• Romain Grosjean;
• Kevin Magnussen;
• Jolyon Palmer.

While again Stoffel Vandoorne used his third element.

In Spain, before Free Practice 1 the works Mercedes team fitted their second ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K.  This is a race early if the team was to divide the season into four equal length sections, but as they have updated the Power Unit, it makes sense to introduce it in Spain which has greater power demands than Monaco which would mathematically be the race to introduce the new power unit.  Both Ferraris and both Saubers also fitted their second MGU-K, with the Saubers also fitting a new CE (Ericsson’s second and Wehrlein’s third.

Fernando Alonso’s smoky failure in Free Practice 1 lead to a new ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K being fitted before the second session.  This was the third ICE and MGU-K but the fourth and final TC and MGU-H.  With Honda’s poor reliability this season either Alonso is going to pick up penalties this race, or Jenson Button will start Monaco from the back of the grid.  No wonder Button isn’t keen to get into the car in advance of Monaco.

With power unit development unrestricted this season, it is only Mercedes who has been able to develop their power unit penalty free, the other manufacturers have used more than one of their opening specification power unit, restricting how many updated power units they can use in the rest of the year without penalty.  Unfortunately it looks like power unit penalties will again be significant in the outcome of the title.