Pierre Godof Explains How the Mercedes F1 Split Turbo Came to Fruition

By: | March 12th, 2016

It’s always interesting to be able to get inside the minds of people responsible for incredible feats of engineering.

In a recent video posted to the Mercedes AMG Petronas YouTube Channel, turbocharging team leader Pierre Godof gives an in-depth explanation regarding how the Mercedes F1 split turbo came to be.

The team drew inspiration for the Mercedes F1 split turbo from some unlikely sources throughout the process, including helicopter turbines, trucks, and jet engines.

All of the input, even from Daimler’s trucks division, ultimately led to the team splitting the turbo and compressor for a cool and compact package.

The size of the Mercedes F1 split turbo enables it to run a vehicle with smaller air inlets and more slender bodywork for less drag.

From Mercedes:

In part two of the #Halfway2Impossible series, we discover the team at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) drew inspiration from jet engines, helicopter turbines and even trucks when designing the unique turbocharger configuration at the heart of the Mercedes-Benz F1 Power Unit.

In the quest for the unattainable ideal of perpetual motion, Silver Arrows Formula One engineers at HPP have managed to improve the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine two hundred times faster and further than all engineering endeavour in the preceding 140 years. Stay tuned for upcoming episode in this four part story of remarkable endeavour, as we seek #Halfway2Impossible.

Michael Cooney

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