IndyCar has announced when it's long-awaited new hybrid engine will be introduced

INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar's new hybrid engine will make its long-awaited debut at the series' Mid-Ohio race from July 5-7.

The engine was announced in 2019 and originally expected to be introduced in 2022 but the COVID 19 pandemic pushed back to the start of 2023. It was delayed again until the 2024 opener at St. Petersburg before being postponed one final time.

All teams turned laps with the prototype device that combines the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with an energy recovery system that will build an energy bank from drivers braking, or manually choosing to harvest it. The energy will only be available through a latching button, similar to the current push to pass system.

A final full-field test is scheduled for June 11 at the Milwaukee Mile. The unit has previously been tested at Barber, Homestead-Miami, Road America, Sebring, St. Louis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and road course for a total of 23,518 miles.

Push to pass will still have time restrictions. Rules will limit the amount of energy the hybrid power unit produces that can be used per lap. On road and street courses, the added boost will provide an additional 120 horsepower, pushing the total over 800 for the first time in two decades. Additional horsepower is expected in the future as the unit develops, according to the news release.

Drivers will also be able to restart the car by themselves is they stall on the track; currently the safety team needs to do it.

"Hybrid technology is playing an ever-increasing role in both our racing programs and the production vehicles created by Honda and Acura," Honda Racing Corporation USA President David Salters said in the news release. "Introducing electrification to IndyCar at Mid-Ohio further aligns our racing efforts with Honda's passenger car production as we operate multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities in central Ohio."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Debut of IndyCar's long-awaited hybrid engine has been announced