Romain Grosjean tested the hybrid IndyCar

This is one more step towards the introduction of hybrid engines in IndyCar which was crossed this Thursday and Friday in Indianapolis. From now on, all teams entered for the full season have been able to test the new system at least once. So far, only the teams chosen by Chevrolet (Penske and McLaren) and Honda (Andretti and Ganassi) were able to test the hybrid system.

Originally scheduled for the first round of the season in St. Petersburg, the introduction of the hybrid system in IndyCar has been pushed back to a point later than the Indy 500. The championship has not yet confirmed the date of the first hybrid round . Everything suggests that it will be in Mid-Ohio on July 7. Concerns over parts supply and reliability have hampered the development of this new system.

It is now possible for all teams to embark on an increased testing program, in order to make up for the delay caused by the numerous sessions previously organized by Honda and Chevrolet. Romain Grosjean was one of the drivers who took to the track this Friday in Indianapolis to discover the system. This was developed jointly by Honda and Chevrolet.

“It’s a complex system. From what we saw [Friday] morning, it's going to take a lot of work. There are lots of options available, and it will be up to us to find out which ones are best. Yes, it's still very early for us given the knowledge others have [on this system], but we will do our best.", explained the French pilot.

A system composed of an MGU K and a supercapacitor

Unlike the vast majority of hybrid motor sports, which use a battery system to store the energy to be returned, IndyCar has chosen a supercapacitor. More compact and lighter than batteries, it can store and release energy more quickly. The downside is that it cannot store as much energy as batteries.

This is how the MGU K will act more like a push-to-pass, which this time will be rechargeable throughout the race. It will recharge when braking and by using a regeneration paddle behind the steering wheel. This second solution will be used more on ovals, where drivers almost never brake. Grosjean explains that despite a lower weight compared to a traditional system, the hybrid still changes the balance of the car.

“The goal here was to understand the system, understand how to operate it, and what it does to the car. It's very heavy, and it's located at the rear of the car, so the settings will change a lot. We will do our best, and Chevrolet has helped us a lot on this. »

One of the strengths of this new system is the possibility for pilots to start the combustion engine via the electric motor. Thus, there is theoretically no longer any need for an external starter, which should allow for fewer neutralizations on road circuits. Indeed, until now, if a driver stalled on the track, he had to wait for the arrival of the marshals to restart his car. A change that Romain Grosjean sees as plausible. However, this could be the only consequence of this new system on the races themselves.

“I think we can imagine that there will be fewer yellow flags because we will be able to restart the car. For the rest, I don't yet know if it will really change a lot of things in the race. It's quite different, there are quite a few buttons to press, but that's just the beginning. »