2024 Gearbox Comparison

2024 Gearbox Comparison

Feb 21, 2024

Last year we had 5 different gearboxes in use: Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Alpine, and McLaren.

Because of the regulation changes for this year, the teams that are being supplied with engines would have the option either to stick with their last year's choice for gearbox or to get the provided such by the factory team this year (provided they have changed it). This prevents the customer teams from developing new gearboxes for this year.

So this is what we get this season:

Mercedes with a new gearbox. The longer 7th and 8th gear suggest that we can expect better top speed from the team this year.

Ferrari with the same gearbox ratios, despite altering the gearbox.

No changes for Red Bull too.

McLaren have stayed with the old gearbox!

New gearbox for Alpine. For the last year, Alpine have run one of the longest gear ratios but now they have switched to much shorter (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th)

Aston Martin and Williams opted for the new version of the Mercedes gearbox!

This means that we have the following groups:

  • Mercedes, Williams, Aston Martin

  • McLaren

  • Red Bull, RB

  • Ferrari, Sauber, Haas

  • Alpine

Again 5 different gearboxes. Now let's compare them:

Now Ferrari, RedBull, Alpine, and Mercedes have very similar 8th gears! McLaren with what seems to be the longest 8th gear (approx)!


How to read these figures?

So the bottom axis represents the speed in kph and the other the revolutions of the engine. The engine and the tyres are linked linearly, meaning that the dots of each gear аre lying on a line. The more tilted the line, the longer the gear. The more upward it stays, the shorter it is.

Longer gear means higher top speeds could be achieved (if not drag). Shorter gear means more acceleration. That is why 1 in a more upward position than 8 for example.

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