Honda Power Unit Hardware & Software

[Bill]

https://www.mundodeportivo.com/motor/f1 ... honda.html

[KimiRai]

Honda's aduo update performance so far according to Italian/Spanish sources, both paddock media accredited and are in agreement. (still speculation and could be entirely wrong! warning)

• 17-18hp improvement. About two tenths in Zandvoort track.

• Substantial change in combustion characteristics requires time to adapt software

• New spec is decoupled from gearbox and requires drivability improvement

[Bill]

Honda's aduo update performance so far according to Italian/Spanish sources, both paddock media accredited and are in agreement. (still speculation and could be entirely wrong! warning)

• 17-18hp improvement. About two tenths in Zandvoort track.

• Substantial change in combustion characteristics requires time to adapt software

• New spec is decoupled from gearbox and requires drivability improvement

they is still a little horsepower to unlock of a total 30.the maximum hp internal combustion can deliver is around 563 . if you are missing more than 10% which 56 a team will qualify for addition resources in term of money and number of upgrades. Honda did no qualify for that, so i think in terms of ice power they are not missing a lot.

[etusch]

HRC announced that they are aware of the situation and have set their short-term goals:

On-Track Software Adjustments: Orihara stated that following Friday and Saturday's data, the HRC Sakura (Japan) and HRC UK teams worked overnight on simulators and test benches to implement software updates to improve combustion stability on the track.

Main Target (Monza and Madrid): While Honda sees the new engine's trouble-free weekend as a positive step in terms of reliability, they acknowledged that their top priority before Monza and subsequent races is to adapt this new raw power to a software mapping (driveability) that allows the driver to manage it smoothly with the throttle.

In summary, the Japanese Press's Perspective
Japanese media describes the update as "a necessary and correct step in terms of horsepower, but a package that is not yet mature in terms of software and driving integration." It is emphasized that HRC has managed to increase raw power, but inconsistencies in gear changes, engine braking, and throttle response need to be resolved with software updates before Monza.

[etusch]

they is still a little horsepower to unlock of a total 30.the maximum hp internal combustion can deliver is around 563 . if you are missing more than 10% which 56 a team will qualify for addition resources in term of money and number of upgrades. Honda did no qualify for that, so i think in terms of ice power they are not missing a lot.

The above post is a search I had the AI ​​do in the Japanese press. I don't know if more horsepower will be added with a software update.

There's a video circulating online of Alonso overtaking Williams, and it shows the weakest engine against the strongest; once they exit the corner, the difference in engine power isn't that noticeable. However, when the speed increases and power is needed to overcome of drag, they become weaker. So, it seems the lack of power at peak power is the real problem, rather than the race performance itself.

[Bill]

they is still a little horsepower to unlock of a total 30.the maximum hp internal combustion can deliver is around 563 . if you are missing more than 10% which 56 a team will qualify for addition resources in term of money and number of upgrades. Honda did no qualify for that, so i think in terms of ice power they are not missing a lot.

The above post is a search I had the AI ​​do in the Japanese press. I don't know if more horsepower will be added with a software update.

There's a video circulating online of Alonso overtaking Williams, and it shows the weakest engine against the strongest; once they exit the corner, the difference in engine power isn't that noticeable. However, when the speed increases and power is needed to overcome of drag, they become weaker. So, it seems the lack of power at peak power is the real problem, rather than the race performance itself.

the point i was trying to raise is that people too eager to dismiss honda and claiming that they are over 100 hp down .if that was the case they would have qualified for additional resource from fia .so their lack of power anywhere between 20 to 30 hp on ice .

[diffuser]

HRC announced that they are aware of the situation and have set their short-term goals:

On-Track Software Adjustments: Orihara stated that following Friday and Saturday's data, the HRC Sakura (Japan) and HRC UK teams worked overnight on simulators and test benches to implement software updates to improve combustion stability on the track.

Main Target (Monza and Madrid): While Honda sees the new engine's trouble-free weekend as a positive step in terms of reliability, they acknowledged that their top priority before Monza and subsequent races is to adapt this new raw power to a software mapping (driveability) that allows the driver to manage it smoothly with the throttle.

In summary, the Japanese Press's Perspective
Japanese media describes the update as "a necessary and correct step in terms of horsepower, but a package that is not yet mature in terms of software and driving integration." It is emphasized that HRC has managed to increase raw power, but inconsistencies in gear changes, engine braking, and throttle response need to be resolved with software updates before Monza.

I presume there will be leanings from Honda on this. That their programming is too static. They'll factor in more variables/levers that will make easier to tune on the fly.

[etusch]

I have my doubts about the two sides working together. A short test drive was done a week after Hungary race. This engine had been on the test bench for a while, and they must have adjusted it properly there. But once it was installed in the car, the problem reappeared. It seems they're going to start everything from scratch again. That's what both sides need to focus on most. Of course, if that's the case. That's just my guess, but from the outside, that's really how it looks. That's not how you become a factory team. That's how you become a customer team with only one customer.

[bigblue]

the point i was trying to raise is that people too eager to dismiss honda and claiming that they are over 100 hp down .if that was the case they would have qualified for additional resource from fia .so their lack of power anywhere between 20 to 30 hp on ice .

I agree some of the numbers thrown around sound rather big. I don't know what -100bhp on the straight would look like, but I guess it would be worse than what is observed. Alonso seemed to be able to put up something of a fight to keep 9th. I guess that's my conjecture there. I'm happy to be corrected by someone who actually knows or has seen some well-reasoned analysis somewhere. The picture is confused by the PU not being just the ICE, of course.

As far as what we actually do know for sure, I think it's just that Honda are >4% down. The extra money and hours awarded have not been disclosed as far as I know, just the headline number of upgrades allowed. I believe this is the system.

ADUO system and rankings.
-------------------------

 0%        Red Bull
-2%...-4%  Mercedes              => 1+1 upgrades  -2%...-4%   +$ 3.00m, + 70hrs
-4%...     Audi, Ferrari, Honda  => 2+2 upgrades  -4%...-6%   +$ 4.65m, +110hrs
                                                  -6%...-8%   +$ 6.35m, +150hrs
                                                  -8%...-10%  +$ 8.00m, +190hrs
                                                  -10%...     +$11.00m, +230hrs

x+y upgrades: x in 2026, y in 2027


Other info.
-----------
2026 PU cost cap is $190m.
2026 dyno hours cap is 860hrs (excludes single-cylinder, which is not limited).


Disclaimer.
-----------
I might have got some of this wrong, it's my best understanding!


Questions.
----------
* ICE output, estimate, typically 550bhp-570bhp? (complete guess from cursory search).
* Honda worse than this?
* What's changeable under ADUO?
* What's changeable in the off season (applies to any manufacturer)?
* Just found the dyno hours doc, will read more thoroughly to confirm dyno hours cap.

Sources.

• ADUO system and first rankings, https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-e ... -revealed/
• Second rankings, https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/red- ... o-results/
• PU cost cap, https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... utjThctBT3
• PU dyno (and ADUO) hours, https://www.fia.com/system/files/docume ... -08-05.pdf

I think diffuser covered what is changeable somewhat in a previous post, I haven't re-read and searched online to get my head around it. There's also some one season this-set-of-things, next season that-set-of-things for everyone as well, I believe. Any links or info appreciated, and I'll dig around myself a bit when I get time. Just thought I'd set out what I understand. Let me know if I've got something wrong, or if more detailed info has been disclosed (I suppose rumours from credible sources might be of interest, but what any one person imagines is credible can vary - for me, autosport, BBC, then I suppose other well-known sites to some extent, but more than one of any of these).

Formula 1 doesn't make it easy to comprehend, and I'm not sure I've seen a decent article on the whole of this.