Alpine have found significant performance gains from the new power unit Renault has developed for the 2022 season, according to the team’s technical director.
Renault previously indicated it intended to adopt the layout used by Mercedes and Honda on their power units, in which the turbo and compressor are separated and joined by a connecting shaft, on its 2022 design.
Alpine’s technical director Matt Harman confirmed the team’s new car, presented today, was the result of an extensive re-think of its power unit.
“At the very beginning of these regulations we actually started with the power unit, mainly because it does set some of the key areas of the car aerodynamically,” said Harman. “We did a full review of this area of the car and we decided to change the architecture of that power unit extensively in all areas, including the internal combustion engine, the ERS system, the turbo and its positioning in the car.
“That has given us some real gains in terms of our ability…