A TWO-WASTEGATE INSTALLATION
On the image above, one can see two wastegates (the valves that control the flow of exhaust gas going to the turbine), which are placed above and below the exhaust and included in the turbine casing. The upper wastegate can also be spotted in the circle, a zoom-in photograph that was taken at Suzuka where Honda’s power unit was on display.
In the wake of revised 2016 FIA technical regulations, all engine manufacturers will need to alter the design of their single exhaust systems. In an effort to make Formula One cars louder, the sport’s governing body require teams to add one or two smaller tailpipes for the wastegastes. The good news for Honda is that it will also be able to update its turbine without using any engine development tokens since the wastegates are integral elements of the device.
One can also notice that the clutch is installed above the ICE instead of the traditional gearbox-mounted design. The current turbocharged V6s have a lower rev limit (15,000 rpm), which means the clutch can be fixed to the engine. Such assembly is not new, and remains the preferable solution following the significant increase in torque compared to the previous normally aspirated V8s. Mercedes already had an identical installation on last year’s PU106A.
