Racecar Engineering July 2022

Formula 1 is set to maintain its DI V6 turbo hybrid power units for the foreseeable future. However, after extensive discussions with the current and some intent OEMs, the next generation, set to arrive in 2026, will contain some crucial recipe changes. One of the most significant is eliminating the e-Turbo-style heat energy recovery system (H-ERS). The H-ERS is a motor-generator unit mounted on the turbocharger shaft of a Formula 1 internal combustion engine. The unit converts heat energy from exhaust gases into electrical energy. This is then used to power the car’s electrical driveline (either charging the battery or directly deployed to the kinetic energy recovery unit) to boost the power unit’s performance. It’s arguably the most significant performance differentiating system onboard the power unit. Party politics Understanding how this primary performance…

‘The classic way of doing it is that you can adjust your rear downforce, but the way that we do it you will balance the front and the rear together’Olivier Jansonnie, WEC technical director at Peugeot Sport Peugeot has presented the final version of its Le Mans contender, the 9X8, after five months and more than 10,000kms of testing. At the launch in Portimao, Portugal in May, the French company confirmed it expects the homologation process for its extraordinary car to be complete in time for the debut race in the FIA WEC at Monza in July. The car is different from the ‘teaser’ car that was launched in July 2021 in that it has been brought into line with the technical regulations, although one key area remains – there is no…

Peugeot Sport has signed a multi-year partnership with Marelli, a leading global automotive supplier with extensive expertise in the field of motorsports and high-performance technologies. This crucial technological partnership is based on the development of the most efficient electric solution to match the extreme performance requirements of the hybrid powertrain system on the 9X8 Hypercar. Specifically, Marelli is providing the engineering and supply of the bespoke, high-performance electric motor and silicon carbide-based inverter that are part of the front axle electric traction system. The focus of the development is to maximise efficiency and reliability in the system, while adapting the motor and inverter technology to make effective use of the weight and volume allocated by the team. ‘We are excited by this new collaboration with Peugeot Sport,’ said Riccardo De Filippi, head…

Prior to taking to the track for its prehomologation test sessions, Peugeot’s 9X8 Hypercar began life as a 51.1GB digital project, made up of 15,267 files stored on a hard drive. Peugeot Sport’s teams spent two years modelling and simulating the Hypercar, utilising both existing software – adapted where necessary to suit the project’s specific requirements – and computer programs developed entirely in house. ‘One of our strengths is being able to create the tools ourselves to shape the design of the components we need,’ explains Francois Coudrain, powertrain director at Peugeot Sport. ‘Thanks to our software, we can envisage a wide range of dimensions, shapes and materials, and work on the weight of the car in line with the technical regulations. ‘As with the choice of the base concept, being able to take…

‘The rear wing is the adjustable thing to get performance out of a car and give you a direction in set-up quickly. This [Peugeot solution] is not that. You are allowed one adjustable aero device, for balance, which is an important thing, [and the Peugeot’s is at the front] but when you are in the car you don’t feel the difference. When I first drove the car, the biggest thing for me was the difference compared to a P2, and I understand having followed a Hypercar how hard they are to drive. They are very complex cars, and are going to take a lot to get your head around. But as long as it produces great racing, it should be good. ‘We haven’t got into much set-up yet. We are going…

The regulations for the top class at Le Mans have been finalised as the ACO, FIA and IMSA published the LMDh rule set at the end of March. These regulations, based on IMSA’s philosophy of low-cost Prototype racing, sit alongside the LMH rules that were designed by the FIA and ACO, and together they form the top class, named Hypercar, in the World Endurance Championship, and GTP in IMSA. While the LMH regulations have been public for a long time, allowing Toyota and Glickenhaus to race in the WEC in 2021, the LMDh regulations have taken a little longer to finalise. The teams and manufacturers have had a version of them since September 2020, but the process of bringing the two rule sets together has been complicated. The highlights of the LMDh…