IndyCar’s new engine has been tested on the track

The future is now. Monday, on the Indianapolis road course, two single-seaters were made available to the pilots to test the new power units, which will be used from 2024. At Honda, it is the six-time Chip Ganassi Racing Champion, Scott Dixon, who took the wheel. On the Chevrolet side, Josef Newgarden, double Champion and aligned in Team Penske, started the tests. A luxury cast for the first roar of the new engine.

But what will this new power unit consist of? As with other top competitions such as F1, WRC or WEC, IndyCar will switch to hybrid in 2024. The engine used during the tests is an alternative to the current 2.2-litre V6 biturbo, which equips single-seaters American since 2012. The hybrid block of power units, developed by Mahle, will be tested later, since the test program will extend until their introduction in the discipline.

No lap times were disclosed, as these were private tests and closed to the public. But the few people present on site were won over by the first laps of the engine of the future. « We are very happy with our first day of driving with the new engine »expresses Rob Buckney, general manager of the championship. “There were no problems for the debut of this new engine, and we were able to work on every established point”continues the leader interviewed by Motorsport.com.

Same observation in the Honda clan. « It’s a big step forward for Honda and IndyCar as the championship becomes electrified, and it was a great day. »says David Salters, president and technical director of Honda Performance Development (HPD). “But there are still a lot of steps before the debut of the full hybrid unit in 2024. The 2.4-liter engine is an entirely new design, which has been totally developed, tested and manufactured by the men and women of HPD. There is still a very, very long list of things to do before the power unit is tested in competition, but it is certainly a milestone for everyone at Honda.

A press release published by HPD indicates that Scott Dixon has completed all the test stages established for this first day, enough to give confidence to the Honda teams. On the other hand, it was the weather that came to play tricks on the teams. Yesterday, the mercury was 7 degrees in the morning, greatly limiting the work of the stables. The schedule for the rest of the week has also been changed due to the weather forecast, as thunderstorms and high winds are expected in Indianapolis. As the number of cars was expected to increase for the end of the week, the organizers took the decision to limit the running to ten cars.

Some teams that will not participate in the Thursday session, such as Ganassi, will carry out tests in two weeks at the Barber circuit. For those who continue the program in Indianapolis, another version of the road layout will be used, without the loop of Turn 5. It will be necessary to wait a little longer to see the new engine on an oval, where its performance will be tested by top speeds.

Interview by David Malsher-Lopez