All Four F1 Engine Suppliers on High Alert After Numerous Engine Issues
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With preseason testing drawing to a close, F1 teams will have collected sufficient data from their 2020 cars. So far, all the top teams have suffered problems with the car, leading to unexpected stoppages. Each of the top 3 has dealt with different issues in their cars while collecting valuable data. An unexpected winner has emerged in the reliability department and you will be surprised.
Engine issues in F1 preseason testing
Defending champions Mercedes, who dominated the first week of testing, suffered a minor setback yesterday. The Brackley outfit couldn’t complete their designated lap count when Lewis Hamilton pulled over to the side of the track. The W11 apparently had a loss of oil pressure, which resulted in the car shutting down.
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The German team also supply engines to Williams F1 and Racing Point. The RP20 has taken the paddock by surprise with its sheer pace and hasn’t had any major issues so far. However, Williams wasn’t so lucky. The FW4 ground to a halt on day 4 due to an oil pressure issue and ICE troubles in week 1.
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🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes grinds to a halt during #F1Testing #F1 pic.twitter.com/fX5o6jU5ma
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 27, 2020
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Ferrari, which had the best engine of the grid in 2019, is yet to turn things up. The Italian team suffered an engine issue in week 1 of testing, which resulted in the engine being replaced. The SF90 was a quick but unreliable machine and Ferrari won’t be hoping for a repeat of 2019. Despite the setback, Ferrari’s engine is looking in good shape. Customer teams – Haas and Alfa Romeo have been reaching impressive top speeds without any troubles.
Honda has had a decent test so far with both their teams. Red Bull suffered an engine issue (due to a suspected injector problem) and ended day 4 with a red flag. Alpha Tauri spent most of day 5 working on the car’s engine. Honda has allegedly made impressive gains with their 2020 engine, but it cannot be verified during testing.
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The only team without any breakdowns is Renault. The French team turned up at Barcelona with a redesigned car in the R.S.20. Renault has been quietly getting along with their testing schedule. The true pace of the car may be hidden, but things are looking positive so far. McLaren, who use Renault power, is also making good progress with virtually no issues so far.
It will be interesting to see how things shake up on the final day of testing. We may see the sandbags come off, but we will find out teams’ true pace in 3 weeks’ time in Australia.
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