Haas F1 junior Arjun Maini gets new engine from Formula 2
Formula 2 has replaced Haas Formula 1 development driver Arjun Maini's engine for qualifying at the Red Bull Ring after a fault was found with his existing unit in practice
Maini was struggling with engine performance during the Paul Ricard weekend, and after finishing 13th in Sunday's sprint race, he delivered a heartfelt and emotional radio rant claiming the problems with the F2 car were 'killing our careers'.
In Austria, F2 boss Bruno Michel told Autosport that the series has been working "night and day" to solve the problems, and has worked on the clutch control and throttle motor in the three-day period between the French event and this weekend's races.
The Trident team Maini (pictured below) drives for approached the F2 technical department after practice, believing there to be a problem with the V6 turbo unit.
Michel confirmed that the data was analysed and there was a "good technical reason" to make the change.
"We change engines, only when we have a good technical reason to do it," said Michel. "Otherwise every time a team has a bad performance they will be coming and asking for a new engine.
"We've been looking at the data on Arjun's engine.
"We have looked at it and made the decision since time is very short between free practice and qualifying.
"Looking at the data, we understand it would have taken time, so we decided to do it [change the engine] early, to give Arjun the possibility to start qualifying with a new engine.
"When we do that [change the engine] we need the approval of the FIA as well."
Once it had the new unit, the team managed a rapid engine turnaround to get it installed before qualifying - which will start just three hours after the end of practice.
Previous article
Red Bull Ring F2: Mercedes protege George Russell leads practice
Next article
F2 Red Bull Ring: Russell beats Norris to pole, cuts points deficit
The Red Bull F1 junior aiming to defy geographical odds
It's a long way from Pukekohe New Zealand to Milton Keynes, but Red Bull's Kiwi protege Liam Lawson has defied plenty of odds to reach the rung below F1. He's endured disappointment since winning on his F2 debut in Bahrain, but is determined to turn his season around and prove himself worthy of a place in F1
How Red Bull's next F1 hopeful turned around his season
Having impressed in Formula 3, Juri Vips looked to be next cab off the rank in Red Bull's prestigious Junior Team before his 2020 schedule was dealt a heavy blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a tough start to life in Formula 2, Vips is showing signs of a recovery - could he be the first Estonian to reach Formula 1?
The making of an F1 hopeful re-writing the F2 record books
He'd marked himself out as a star of the future in last year's FIA Formula 3 championship, but 17-year-old Theo Pourchaire underlined his credentials by winning his first Formula 2 race in the Monaco feature. Sauber junior status gives him a clear route to the top, but with wisdom beyond his years, he's not getting caught up in his own hype
The 10 greatest F2 races contested by F1 drivers
Formula 2 used to be about more than providing a stepping stone to F1. For three decades it often provided another setting for the world’s best to fight it out. Autosport picks out the very best races
The F1 hopeful living two lives to keep his dream alive
Having lost his backing from Red Bull, Richard Verschoor has had to graft to continue his ascent up the single-seater ladder. An impressive Formula 2 debut in Bahrain, despite the lateness of his deal, shows his unorthodox approach is paying dividends
Was Formula 2’s radical format switch a success?
Going into the 2021 Formula 2 season the biggest talking point wasn’t about any drivers or teams, but the new race weekend format. Created partly out of financial necessity but also to spice up the action, the Bahrain opener provided a snapshot of the positives and negatives to come
Why 2021 is make-or-break for the driver F1 needs
He was tipped for glory in FIA Formula 2 last year, but was hampered by reliability woes at inopportune moments. Guanyu Zhou knows he won't get too many more chances if he is to become China's first F1 driver, with fierce competition within the ranks of Alpine's junior stable
How Schumacher Jr earned his Haas F1 chance
Michael Schumacher may have won seven Formula 1 titles, but he didn't even compete for a crown at the second tier. Son Mick put that right in 2020, and proved to Ferrari that he was deserving of a shot at motorsport's elite category in 2021
