I am not sure that this belongs to this tread, but some how concerns the Honda engine performance, and its impact on their results. I downloaded OptimumLap software from here:
http://www.optimumg.com/software/optimumlap/ , and played around several circuits. Yes, this software have disadvantage not to have in its database hybrid cars, and energy deployment is impossible to simulate, but if we design a car with the supposed power levels and chassis general parameters of today Formula 1, we can get some idea what are the factors that affect the performance. Here are my general conclusions:
- Surprisingly 100 hp difference doesn't give more than 0.3 sec per lap on circuit like Austin and even less on Suzuka if everything else is equal
- 48% against 35% efficiency of ICE gives not too much difference in qualifications, but has huge impact in the race because of the extra fuel on board - more than 2 sec. Actually this can be seen in the lap time differences between top teams and McLaren-Honda at the beginning and at the end of the race.
- Yes, 100 hp give difference of 10 km/h at the speed traps when everything else is equal. However, the drag coefficient has much bigger impact on the top speed.
- The chassis settings have much bigger impact to achieve the observed differences in the lap times between the top teams and McLaren Honda - on average 0.5 sec due to engine and 1 sec and more due to chassis.
Of course, the ERS deployment is missing in these calculations, but my impression is that after Baku McLaren-Honda don't have issues with the harvesting and deployment of energy rather than with the reliability of MGU-H. In other words, from higher importance now is to push the efficiency of ICE, not to try to increase the pick power.