General
AMuS: 'Renault fraction more power than Honda; Ferrari disappeared into nothing'
- GPblog.com
Since the hybrid engines entered Formula 1, the ranking has been determined to a considerable extent by the power of that power source. With the arrival of the new aerodynamic regulations in 2017 this seemed to come to an end for a while, but the battle for horsepower is back again since last year.
At that time it was the Ferrari that was in charge by leaving the competition far behind, especially during the qualifying sessions. This was most likely done by illegal methods, because since the engine regulations have been clarified, they are nowhere.
Mercedes finds speed
Striking is the position of Mercedes. At the end of last season they were still reasonably level with Honda and Renault, but seem to have made quite a step forward in the winter. They explain this themselves because the speed of the Ferrari engine last year forced them to do their best.
So you don't have to be an attentive observer to see that Mercedes currently has the dominant engine. The exact proportions behind this are more difficult to estimate, but the outcome of an analysis by Auto Motor und Sport is striking.
Honda and Renault close to each other
According to the Germans Renault has the second engine and is 25 HP short on Mercedes, Honda follows with a backlog of 30 HP. Renault could deliver some extra power, especially in qualifying, while Honda is on average better over the race. Ferrari is lonely at the back with a gap of around 50 HP on Mercedes.
They base those estimates on the so-called 'power sectors'. The parts of a circuit where the throttle is full. They also have to take into account the efficiency of the aerodynamics of the different teams.