Blended learning

‘I think the results will bring advantages both to the racing world in Formula 1… and in the consumer car world and with road car engines in general’
Tomek Young, global motorsport technology manager at Mobil 1

Few mechanical systems put as much stress on their components as a Formula 1 hybrid power unit. Providing technical solutions in such a demanding environment pushes suppliers to enhance their products and develop new technologies in a bid to yield an advantage over rivals on the track. The partnership between Honda and the Red Bull Technology group Formula 1 teams, Red Bull Racing and Alpha Tauri, has provided a key learning platform and a proving ground for the fuels and lubricants brand, Mobil 1.

The partnership provides Mobil 1 with the opportunity to improve its engine fluid technologies, raising the standard of lubricant and fuel performance for its customers, while at the same time delivering higher resilience to contamination and longer service intervals.

Mobil 1 and Honda’s engineers have worked closely with Red Bull Technology since changing from a power unit supplier to a partnership with Toro Rosso in 2018.

‘That shift in the relationship has made a significant difference,’ highlights Honda F1 technical director, Toyoharu Tanabe. ‘We had many meetings to develop our relationship, which is not only technical but also personal. We have very open communication between Mobil 1 engineers and Honda engineers.

‘Reviewing the test data, we looked at the direction for development and a new