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Mercedes Hight Perfomance Powertrains Managing Director Hywel Thomas says Mercedes has upgraded their power unit in two key areas.
After Mercedes’ 2024 car was launched, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Hywel Thomas explained where the HPP’s focus has been heading into the new season.
“At this stage of the regulation cycle, there are limited opportunities for us to develop the Power Unit,” Thomas said.
“We are permitted to make reliability upgrades where necessary, and to have a single software release each year, so we have been working on that. We have taken the opportunity to update the PU in both of these areas.
“Despite the freeze, it is a big reliability challenge for all power unit manufacturers. Not finishing races is so detrimental to the final championship standings, so reliability is always a huge focus.
“And, of course, we are always looking at performance, and seeking out those milliseconds that are left to find within the regulations.
“The other aspect that makes this more difficult is that the number of dyno hours are reducing year-on-year as we transition into a bigger focus on the 2026 rules.”
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Thomas also talked about the cooperation between Mercedes’ engine factory in Brixworth, and the team’s factory at Brackley.
“It has been very much business as usual, with the powertrain team here working very closely with our team-mates in Brackley to make sure we are reflecting any changes being made on the car from our side.
“This is to ensure parts don’t start bumping and clashing into each other and that the cooling systems are still going to work correctly.
“We’ve had the dyno running in Brackley which helps prepare us for the shakedown and pre-season test.
“We want to be ready to roll out as soon as the garage doors go up because there is only a limited amount of time during the three days in Bahrain. Every lap is vital, so we want to maximise our running.”
The Briton then explained how the team is working together to prepare for 2024.
“It has been about making sure all of us have all our pieces of the jigsaw. We are responsible and accountable for our own pieces.
“From our side it is about making sure we deliver a reliable product where we can find performance. We must make sure we are not limiting what the car can do.
“That is where we work in close collaboration with the team in Brackley to explore how we can use the engine to increase performance.
“We need to be open to pushing our own boundaries. We are always looking to help, to determine what is our part of the puzzle? What is our part of the problem?
“There is that saying, ‘If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem’. That is what we are trying to do – to be part of the solution.
“It means everyone is energized to think that, when the car does get to where we want it to be, they have been part of the journey. Until then, we will take as much learning with every step as everyone else.
“That is what being part of the team means,” Thomas concluded.
