Honda: Competitors 'downplay' impact of new Formula 1 fuel

As part of the revision of the rules for 2022, Formula 1 is requiring all cars to use E10 fuel. This was expected to result in a decrease in power, but some manufacturers claim to have already recovered that loss.

Disadvantage due to new fuel not easily made up

However, Honda chief Yasuaki Asagi, who previously led the development of the Japanese power unit and also remains involved in the new project with Red Bull Racing, is skeptical about this. In conversation with Motorsport.com he would not disclose how much power will be lost in 2022 due to the change.

However, he denied that the difference can just be made up for overnight, as some manufacturers claim. According to Asagi, switching to new fuel was not an easy challenge. The biggest challenge, according to the Japanese chief, is in the reaction to the higher percentage of ethanol.

The engine architecture was already set with the 2021 powerplant, so changes had to be made to get as much as possible out of the E10 fuel. The power and energy that can be extracted from the new fuel would be reduced compared to the old fuel. According to Asagi, this is simply a characteristic of fuel with a higher percentage of ethanol, so this disadvantage cannot be easily corrected.