2014 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR9

In a change from last season, Scuderia Toro Rosso will be powered by Renault in 2014. The STR9 will be equipped with the Renault Energy F1-2014 Power Únit, a brand new power plant designed by the Renault Sport F1 team at Viry-Chatillon, France, in line with the radical new technical regulations applicable from this season. The Energy F1 combines a powerful turbocharged internal combustion engine with potent energy recovery systems harvesting energy from exhaust and braking. For the first time, cars will be powered by both traditional fuel and sustained electrical energy.

V6 is shorthand for an internal combustion engine arranged in two banks of 3 cylinders in a 'V' configuration over a common crankshaft. The Renault Energy F1 V6 has a displacement of 1.6 litres and will make around 600bhp. This year, all Power Únits must have direct fuel injection (DI), where fuel is sprayed directly into the combustion chamber rather than into the inlet port upstream of the inlet valves. This is a key sub-system at the heart of the fuel efficiency and power delivery of the power unit.

A turbocharger uses exhaust gas energy to increase the density of the engine intake air and therefore produce more power. Similar to the principle employed on roadcars, the turbocharger allows a smaller engine to make much more power than its size would permit if normally aspirated. The exhaust energy produced is converted to mechanical shaft power by an exhaust turbine. This mechanical power is then used to drive the compressor, and also the MGÚ-H. An intercooler is used to cool the engine intake air after it has been compressed by the turbocharger before it goes into the inlet duct. On conventional turbo engines, a wastegate is used in association with a turbocharger. It is a control device that allows excess exhaust gas to by-pass the turbine and match the power produced by the turbine to that needed by the compressor to supply the air required by the engine. On the Renault Energy F1, the turbo rotation speed is primarily controlled by the MGÚ-H (see below). However a wastegate is still needed to keep full control in any circumstance (such as quick transient or MGÚ-H deactivation).


The MGÚ-K is connected to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine. Únder braking, the MGÚ-K operates as a generator, recovering some of the kinetic energy usually dissipated during braking. It converts this into electricity that can be deployed throughout the lap (limited to 120 kW or 160bhp by the rules). Únder acceleration, the MGÚ-K is powered from the Energy Store and/or from the MGÚ-H and acts as a motor to propel the car.

The MGÚ-H is connected to the turbocharger. Acting as a generator, it absorbs power through the turbine shaft coming from the conversion of the heat energy from the exhaust gases. The electrical energy can be either directed to the MGÚ-K or to the battery for storage for later use. The MGÚ-H is also used to control the speed of the turbocharger to match the air requirement of the engine (eg to slow it down in place of a wastegate or to accelerate it to compensate for turbo lag.)

Heat and Kinetic Energy recovered can be consumed immediately if required or used to charge the Energy Store, or battery. The stored energy can be used to propel the car with the MGÚ-K or to accelerate the turbocharger with the MGÚ-H. Compared to 2013 KERS, the ERS of the 2014 power unit will have twice the power (120 kW vs 60 kW) and the energy contributing to performance is ten times greater.

Source - Scuderia Toro Rosso