This American championship goes hybrid!

The IndyCar championship will transition to hybrid powertrains on July 7th, right in the middle of the season!

The hybrid technology, developed jointly by Honda and Chevrolet, the two engine manufacturers of IndyCar, will debut in races on July 7th. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which also hosts numerous IndyCar testing sessions throughout the year, is a perfect playground to test this new technology.

Composed of an MGU (Motor Generator Unit) and 20 supercapacitors, the technology will allow for energy recovery during braking and coasting phases, before being able to release it. IndyCar has confirmed the outlines of the regulations for this new system. Drivers will be able to recover energy automatically, through a setting in the car’s software, or manually, via a pull lever or a button press.

Over 800 horsepower in total!

For energy release, no one will have a choice; they will have to press a button on the steering wheel! It is interesting to note that this new boost system adds to the already existing push-to-pass feature. This system allows the use of a different engine mapping for 150 to 200 seconds per race on road courses, also increasing power. If a driver uses both systems in collaboration, they can expect an additional 120 horsepower, thus exceeding a total of 800 horsepower. While electrical energy cannot be used for an entire straightaway due to the supercapacitors not retaining enough energy, exit speeds from corners should already be significantly faster, and possibly brutal for the drivers!

“The strength of this unprecedented partnership between Chevrolet and Honda has propelled this innovative project to the starting grid in 2024,” said Jay Frye, president of IndyCar. “The hybrid power unit specific to IndyCar will bring a new and exciting element to the championship with additional energy and more overtaking options. We are excited to see the beginning of this new era at Mid-Ohio.”

The hybrid technology will be used on three road and street circuits (Mid-Ohio, Toronto, Portland) and in six oval races (Iowa x2, Gateway, Milwaukee x2, Nashville).

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