F1 TECHNICAL | Power struggle: How Honda caught up with Mercedes – and how the Silver Arrows fought back

The race for championship honours isn’t just being fought out on track between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, but also back at the factories and HQs of Mercedes, Red Bull, and Honda. In this week’s Tech Tuesday, Mark Hughes looks at the battle to be top dog in the power unit stakes…

The development battle between Mercedes and Red Bull which may determine the outcome of the world championship has been quite visible – with a very extensive series of aerodynamic upgrades on the RB16B and significant new bodywork pieces on the W12 at Imola and Silverstone. But what this fight is also about is the competition between Mercedes HPP and Honda in which can deliver the best power unit.

Here the competition is less visually apparent as the crucial components lie secreted beneath the bodywork. Although in-season changes to the power units are limited by the homologation restrictions and the three engines per season rule, major developments to each of these standard-setting units came during the off-season. Both Red Bull and Mercedes are racing this year with significantly more power than in 2020.  —read more—