Lauda: “The one with the fewest retirements will be champion”
The new 2014 single-seaters are starting to be revealed by the teams, and already their appearance is causing a stir. However, according to Niki Lauda and James Allison, it's more the new power unit that's going to make the difference, especially in terms of reliability, which could be the key to success.
This new season is marked by change. The new single-seaters presented in recent days have highlighted the new aerodynamic standards, but it’s primarily the V6 turbo hybrid engines, now called “power units,” that will be the focus of attention throughout the year.
Indeed, their reliability will be the key to success in /f1/actualite/16872-au-revoir-les-moteurs-bienvenue-aux-unites-de-puissance.html, as James Allison, the new technical director of Ferrari, thinks: « The importance of aerodynamics in the championship will be less significant than the differences in power between the new engine designs, » he told the official Scuderia website.
He continues: « However, if I had to choose the element that would likely be the dominant factor for the entire season, I would choose neither power level nor aerodynamics. I would say that reliability this year will be absolutely crucial. »
When asked about the same topic during a discussion with Luca di Montezemolo published on Ferrari’s website, Niki Lauda, non-executive chairman of Mercedes, echoed the British engineer’s sentiments: « The combination of the new car and the integration of the new power unit within it, aimed at being reliable, is the biggest challenge. The one with the fewest retirements this year will be champion. »
For his part, Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari’s sporting director, believes that he and his team are facing the biggest challenge of recent years: « The technical challenge is, as far as I can remember, the greatest we have seen in the last ten years. »
To better understand and grasp the new power units, Fan F1 offers you a detailed article.
