Mercedes’ Andy Cowell has admitted the 1000 horsepower mark is getting ever closer with its V6 hybrid turbo power unit, but says the team will never admit to where it stands.
During the Renault launch earlier this week, Cyril Abiteboul claimed that no manufacturer is ready to reach the magical four figure target.
When quizzed by Read Motorsport on the topic, Cowell said: “It’s getting closer and closer every upgrade.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to say exactly where we are.
“To win races it’s not about a ‘dyno derby’. If we were having a ‘dyno derby’ the power train would be completely different and we wouldn’t be bothered about volume or mass or heat rejection.”
There were unconfirmed reports in 2016 that the PU106C power unit was producing 1000 horsepower in peak qualifying trim, however Mercedes declined to comment.
“The partnership that we’ve got means that we optimise every system to come up with the fastest race car to win the race,” Cowell added.
“It’s not just about qualifying, it’s about winning the races, getting those 25 points.
“That’s what we spend our working lives and a lot of our out-of-work lives thinking about, and the whole team at both Brackley and Brixworth focus on.”
