Automotive Tier One supplier Mahle has announced it is expanding its cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1. The two companies have entered a long-term partnership agreement that includes the development and supply of ‘crucial’ engine components, such as the optimization of the SF16-H’s crank mechanism and the development of high-performance materials.
The project will also see Mahle develop and manufacturing high-strength forged pistons with emphasis on the aluminum alloys and protective reinforcements used. Additionally, the German supplier will also work on reduced-friction piston rings and piston pins made of ‘extremely resilient’ steel. Mahle will also work on new cylinder coatings, again with an emphasis on reduced friction and increased resistant to wear, as well as the development of an innovative combustion processes.
For the first time, Mahle is using a patented solution that leads to a ‘significant increase in efficiency’. The new lean burn combustion process ‘Jet Ignition’ achieves this with a special surface ignition to develop higher power output.
The company states that this process will also be developed for series vehicles, as it claims that with the help of this technology, efficiency levels can be achieved that are otherwise only found in diesel engines.
“We consider Mahle an important partner in the ongoing development of our powertrains. We appreciate not only their high level of technological expertise, but also their exceptional reliability,” said James Allison, technical director at Scuderia Ferrari.
“Our company’s commitment to motorsport has a decades-long tradition. Many developments have contributed to series vehicle engines being more powerful and at the same time more economical,” added Wolf-Henning Scheider, chairman of the Mahle Management Board and CEO.
