“Budapest is not really Engine-Related” – Sauber

Ferrari customer teams Alfa Romeo-Sauber and Haas will have access to the latest F1 engine at the Hungarian GP.

Other such updates include a new combustion engine for Kevin Magnussen and the two Sauber drivers. They will also have a new turbocharger and MGU-H strapped to their cars as well.

Meanwhile. the other Haas driver, Romain Grosjean will take a new V6 engine. Unfortunately, he cannot take a new turbo and MGU-H like the other 3. This is because he has already reached his quota of each element. Additionally, Haas would want to avoid a grid penalty especially at a track where overtaking is difficult.

Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur was mum regarding the specific elements that were upgraded. He preferred to refer to the power unit as a whole rather than individual parts.

As it turns out, the V6 is a brand new spec and the turbo is also upgraded. Interestingly, Ferrari have opted not to use the new engine until after the summer break in Belgium.

Their decision to allow its customers to implement it first mirrors a similar call earlier in the season. The Prancing Horse it introduced its first upgrade by using Haas and Sauber as guinea pigs in Monaco. Later on, the upgrade was strapped to Sebastian Vettel’s car in Canada.

This is actually a clever move of Ferrari’s part as it gives them an opportunity to assess the on-track performance. Only then will they opt to use it or not. Ferrari will also be able to use up the final change of parts at the power-hungry Spa.

However, Vasseur did not believe that the customers were being used as test dummies.

“If you introduce the spec two one race before you have to introduce the spec three one race before,” he said. “I’m very pleased to be able to have it as soon as possible.”