Q: In watching James Hinchcliffe’s explanation of the hybrid engine, I’m curious as to whether or not this new hybrid system will increase in power over time as IndyCar has done in the past, especially as drivers adjust to it? If so, do you think it’s possible that Luyendyk’s IMS track records will be broken within the next few years, even without the additional 120+ hp overtake?
Jamie H
MP: Yes, IndyCar intends to increase ERS power. Some extraordinary things would need to happen there for Indy 500 speed records to be set. The ERS package has driven the Dallara DW12’s minimum weight up another 105 lbs, and that’s a huge amount of mass to carry around IMS. Put 105 lbs of anything in a vehicle, and it tends to go slower unless there’s a big increase in power to compensate for that weight. The ERS boost of 60hp will need to double or triple for the weight to be nullified in lap speeds.
Also, the heavy metal drum inside motor generator unit, which is connected to the input shaft that links the turbo V6s to the transmission, spends its life spinning on that input shaft, so it was shown to produce a lot of mechanical drag when it wasn’t giving short bursts of that 60hp during the most recent Speedway test with the hybrids.
There’s no mechanism in place to decouple the MGU from the input shaft — like a clutch — on the straight and in the corners when it isn’t needed to harvest or deploy, so it saps speed while it isn’t used as the turbo V6s expend horsepower to continually rotate that mass. Granted, the same power-sapping routine happens at every track with the system, but it’s more exaggerated around the 2.5-mile Speedway oval.
So, could the system increase lap speeds if the power went really high? Yes. Is that likely? Again, it would take extraordinary changes for it to happen.
Q: Rossi out at Arrow McLaren? I didn’t see that one coming. What are his options for next year? I’m sure a few teams would be interested in his services, but if he doesn’t end up at Penske or Ganassi, I fear his career is over. It would be painful to see him struggling at a mid-level team.
Marc
MP: Came as a surprise to me as well after the team and his father/manager said they were close to a new deal. Penske, Ganassi and Andretti have no seats to offer. He’s headed to a midfield team because that’s all there is available, but he’ll make one of those teams much better than it is today.
Q: Was the McLaren decision on Rossi strictly about coming to terms on a contract extension, or do they think he is beginning to lose a step? I’m a huge Rossi fan but have felt like he’s not driving as well as he did five years ago.
P. Worth Thompson
MP: He’s having his best season since 2019 when he placed third in the championship for Andretti Global, so I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on his body of work in 2024 as being an issue. He’s seventh in the standings and is delivering the kind of consistency the team needs to improve its vastly inconsistent ways.
Both sides say they came close but couldn’t make the finances work. I’m sure there’s an element of truth to that answer. But I also wonder how the signing of Nolan Siegel might have changed the team’s view on its overall lineup. Pato O’Ward’s the long-established leader among drivers and just won for the team, as he’s paid to do. With Rossi and Theo Pourchaire alongside him, I think the team saw a winner being complemented by a consistent contributor who can also win on occasion and a rookie who looked like he was going to continue being immediately effective.
With the trading of Formula 2 champ Pourchaire for a less-developed Siegel, I wonder if the team decided they needed to take a winnow approach and traded Rossi for Christian Lundgaard. Siegel is good, and has the potential to become great, but he’s a multi-year project without a specific date for when he’ll start delivering the front-running results the team believes he can bring.
In the short term, Arrow McLaren did not make itself more competitive with the O’Ward/Rossi/Siegel lineup. The team was fond of Lundgaard well before he was signed, so my guess is they see him as being able to improve Rossi’s results on a regular basis and give its team a chance to be stronger with O’Ward and Lundgaard while Siegel gains the mileage and experience he lacks in IndyCar.
Q: I have attended every IndyCar race at WWTR here in the St. Louis area since it re-opened in 2017 (back-to-back in the 2020 season). In the beginning the race was always held during the last week in August on a Saturday evening and attendance was near capacity. After the start time was moved to Sunday afternoon, attendance began dropping. In 2025 the race is scheduled to be run on Sunday, June 15 in the afternoon.
I am fairly certain that this is going to do nothing to improve attendance. St. Louis summers are usually extremely hot and humid. During this time of year people in our area are more likely to turn out for an evening event than an afternoon event. Is there any chance IndyCar/FOX would consider moving the race to Saturday evening? The track has lights (obviously) and the race would probably not have much competition from other sports on a Saturday evening. I know the schedule is always based on television ratings, but who’s to say the ratings on a Sunday afternoon in June will be any higher than a Saturday night?
Spencer Fienup, Ballwin, MO
MP: The timing of the races are usually based on windows of availability, so I’d assume that’s the case here. I hear you about the heat, but I also assume fans in the St. Louis area also go see daytime MLB games with the Cardinals and daytime MLS matches with the City SC in the summer, so hopefully it’s not an out-of-the-ordinary ask to watch a daytime IndyCar race across the border in Madison, Illinois.
Q: I understand that with the new hybrid system the drivers will have less than five seconds of the additional 60 horsepower each time it’s used. Knowing the situations will vary re: braking, etc., on how the supercapacitors get charged, how quickly could they get back to a full charge after the extra “oomf” is fully consumed?
Also, clearly one of the advantages from the new configuration is the ability for the driver to restart the engine on their own after a stall. Is it an accurate assumption that, if stalled, and the stored energy has been consumed, that the external starter will still be needed?
John J. Sullivan
MP: The system charges as quickly as it harvests. The energy storage system’s settings are such that enough power is preserved — made unavailable for boosting performance — to give drivers at least enough juice to start the car one time with the energy recovery system. You can read all about it in Part 2 of our Q&A.