- 03 Jun 15, 02:09#437140
Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point. 
ESPNF1:
Ferrari and Honda have both spent engine performance tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
In order to control costs, performance updates to power units are limited by a token system each season. Ferrari and Honda are the first two teams to make use of a loophole in the regulations that allows tokens to be spent during the season, with Ferrari spending three of their remaining tokens and Honda two.
Ferrari has been targeting an engine upgrade in Canada for some time and it is rumoured to offer as much as 20bhp - a significant amount in the tight battle with Mercedes. Ferrari has now spent 25 of its 32 tokens for the year, which brings its token spend on equal terms with Mercedes, which spent 25 ahead of the first race.
The exact details of Ferrari's engine upgrades have not been released, but speaking earlier in the season technical director James Allison explained the potential three tokens could unlock.
"You need to make sure you can get horsepower from spending those tokens, but three is an important number even if it doesn't sound like a lot," he said. "Three buys you a combustion upgrade and a combustion upgrade is quite significant - it could be pistons, cams, injectors, cylinder heads - so it's like a top end of the engine. A three token difference is a useful difference."
Because Honda is a new manufacturer this year, its development was not restricted by token spend until its power unit was homologated on February 28. It was then given nine tokens to spend, which was the average of the remaining tokens of its three competitors. Its spend of two tokens ahead of Canada means it also has seven tokens remaining for the rest of the year.
Renault now has the most tokens remaining after spending just 20 tokens ahead of the start of the season. However, the French manufacturer is focusing on rectifying its reliability issues before it starts chasing performance.
Mercedes is wary of the upgraded power unit Ferrari is expected to use at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ferrari and Honda have both spent engine development tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, which should see power output increased this weekend for Ferrari, Sauber and McLaren if they opt to use one of their new upgraded power units. Each car is allowed to use four power units over the course of the season before incurring grid penalties, so use of an upgraded power unit has to be balanced against the overall usage of engine components this year.
Both Ferrari drivers are on their second set of engine components, so the use of upgrades would see them take their third power unit of the season. However, there is nothing stopping the team reverting to one of the earlier-spec power units late in the season on a less power-dependent circuit.
Mercedes is not spending any engine tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, but will install fresh power units in both cars.
"We will bring new power units to this event, the second units of 2015 for each driver," Lowe explained. "Our first power units were used for six complete race weekends, an incredible achievement by the team at Brixworth that saw both achieve total mileages of over 4,000 km.
"We suspect our competitors may also bring new power units, which this year may be upgraded in-season using development tokens, so it will be interesting to see whether and how the 'balance of power' is shifted this weekend."
Last year both Mercedes suffered an MGU-K failure at the Canadian Grand Prix, forcing Lewis Hamilton to retire with brake failure while Nico Rosberg nursed his car home to finish second behind Daniel Ricciardo. Lowe said reliability is a priority this weekend and, despite victories at five of the first six races, he is not taking victory for granted.
"The Montreal track is hard on the whole car, not just the engine and brakes, so we are concentrating our efforts to get two cars to the finish, something we did not manage last year. We take nothing for granted performance-wise, either; the uniqueness of the track means that there will be a lot to get right if we are to bring home the top prizes."
Ferrari and Honda have both spent engine performance tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
In order to control costs, performance updates to power units are limited by a token system each season. Ferrari and Honda are the first two teams to make use of a loophole in the regulations that allows tokens to be spent during the season, with Ferrari spending three of their remaining tokens and Honda two.
Ferrari has been targeting an engine upgrade in Canada for some time and it is rumoured to offer as much as 20bhp - a significant amount in the tight battle with Mercedes. Ferrari has now spent 25 of its 32 tokens for the year, which brings its token spend on equal terms with Mercedes, which spent 25 ahead of the first race.
The exact details of Ferrari's engine upgrades have not been released, but speaking earlier in the season technical director James Allison explained the potential three tokens could unlock.
"You need to make sure you can get horsepower from spending those tokens, but three is an important number even if it doesn't sound like a lot," he said. "Three buys you a combustion upgrade and a combustion upgrade is quite significant - it could be pistons, cams, injectors, cylinder heads - so it's like a top end of the engine. A three token difference is a useful difference."
Because Honda is a new manufacturer this year, its development was not restricted by token spend until its power unit was homologated on February 28. It was then given nine tokens to spend, which was the average of the remaining tokens of its three competitors. Its spend of two tokens ahead of Canada means it also has seven tokens remaining for the rest of the year.
Renault now has the most tokens remaining after spending just 20 tokens ahead of the start of the season. However, the French manufacturer is focusing on rectifying its reliability issues before it starts chasing performance.
Mercedes is wary of the upgraded power unit Ferrari is expected to use at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ferrari and Honda have both spent engine development tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, which should see power output increased this weekend for Ferrari, Sauber and McLaren if they opt to use one of their new upgraded power units. Each car is allowed to use four power units over the course of the season before incurring grid penalties, so use of an upgraded power unit has to be balanced against the overall usage of engine components this year.
Both Ferrari drivers are on their second set of engine components, so the use of upgrades would see them take their third power unit of the season. However, there is nothing stopping the team reverting to one of the earlier-spec power units late in the season on a less power-dependent circuit.
Mercedes is not spending any engine tokens ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, but will install fresh power units in both cars.
"We will bring new power units to this event, the second units of 2015 for each driver," Lowe explained. "Our first power units were used for six complete race weekends, an incredible achievement by the team at Brixworth that saw both achieve total mileages of over 4,000 km.
"We suspect our competitors may also bring new power units, which this year may be upgraded in-season using development tokens, so it will be interesting to see whether and how the 'balance of power' is shifted this weekend."
Last year both Mercedes suffered an MGU-K failure at the Canadian Grand Prix, forcing Lewis Hamilton to retire with brake failure while Nico Rosberg nursed his car home to finish second behind Daniel Ricciardo. Lowe said reliability is a priority this weekend and, despite victories at five of the first six races, he is not taking victory for granted.
"The Montreal track is hard on the whole car, not just the engine and brakes, so we are concentrating our efforts to get two cars to the finish, something we did not manage last year. We take nothing for granted performance-wise, either; the uniqueness of the track means that there will be a lot to get right if we are to bring home the top prizes."
Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point. 
