Ferrari has reportedly made massive gains with its 2022 engine already. These gains are thanks to Shell's new E10 fuel. In 2022, F1 introduces a 10 per cent mixture of ethanol-based biofuel in the fuel mix which is expected to reduce the horsepower of the engines, but Shell has has made gains in power. The addition of ethanol in the fossil fuel mixture has required a redesign of the combustion chamber - and Ferrari's team boss estimates that there could be a loss of 20 bhp which thanks to Shell has already been recovered. Of course, this is not to say that folks like Castrol, Petronas, Mobil, Gulf Oil and Esso can't achieve the same, but it is impressive nonetheless.
It is worth noting in 2021, Ferrari renewed its 90-year-old relationship with Shell and upgraded it to innovation partner which means the two will be working even more closely considering that in 2026 there will be a new engine formula before the engine development freeze in 2022.
Internally, it seems that Ferrari's tests have postulated its new "super fast" engine has exceeded performance expectations. Ferrari is developing a new internal combustion engine which will be paired with a hybrid element that Ferrari introduced at the fag end of the 2021 season at the Turkish GP. Ferrari is aiming at parity with Mercedes and Honda in engine performance if not ascendency.
Ferrari again renewed its 90-year-old relationship with Shell and upgraded it to innovation partner.
Ferrari has handed the development of the new engine to Wolf Zimmerman whose efforts will be crucial in gaining the engine performance deficit towards Honda and Mercedes. In 2018 and 2019, Ferrari had the most powerful engine on the grid, however, thanks to technical directives by the FIA, the 2019 engine was outlawed which resulted in a massive power loss in 2020 which impacted the entire concept of the car. Ferrari ended up P6 in constructor's, its worse performance in 40 years. In 2021, it had a new power unit which still lagged behind Mercedes and Honda and overall the car largely couldn't challenge for race wins even though it managed P3 in constructor's as homologation rules meant Ferrari couldn't make massive aerodynamic changes as the car was generation more drag thanks to the slower than expected engine.
If Ferrari manages a great engine in 2022, it will help the prancing horse greatly in challenging for the elusive 17th constructor's title which it hasn't achieved since 2008.
