After four Grands Prix out of a 24-race calendar (plus the Sprint), the reliability situation is starting to get interesting.
Yesterday, the FIA confirmed that, for the Saudi Arabian GP, all Red Bull Powertrains-powered drivers – namely Red Bull and Racing Bulls – simultaneously replaced four power unit components: ICE (internal combustion engine), TC (turbocharger), MGU-H, and MGU-K. This mass replacement is entirely legal (as it involves the second of the four elements permitted for nearly all components), but it raises more than a few warning bells within RBPT.
Unlike other engine manufacturers, Red Bull-associated teams are the only ones to have replaced so many parts simultaneously this early, at just the fifth round of the season. It’s hard to think it’s just a coincidence: the extreme heat in Jeddah and data gathered from sensors at the end of the previous race may have prompted engineers to avoid risks and make early replacements. However, the frequency of these interventions suggests that some aspect of thermal management or mechanical reliability needs closer attention, especially since any further replacement of either the control electronics or batteries will result in a 10-place grid penalty for all four RBPT drivers (George Russell is also in the same situation with his Mercedes).
Due to a mix of reliability problems, rain-related crashes in Australia, incidents in China, and issues during practice sessions in Japan, Oliver Bearman, Jack Doohan, and Liam Lawson had already used the second of the four available power units. With today’s replacements, Jack Doohan and Liam Lawson are effectively approaching three, while Gasly now reaches two.
Amid a particularly complicated start to the season, there is good news from Ferrari, which, like McLaren, Aston Martin, Sauber, and Williams, has not experienced any reliability issues.
With such a long championship, car reliability will be a crucial factor in the fight for the World Championships, especially as the regulations limit how many components can be replaced on a car before grid penalties are applied. In particular, power unit parts and those related to the gearbox and transmission are closely monitored.
According to the regulations (Article 28.2), during the 2025 season, a driver may not use more than 4 ICEs, 4 MGU-Hs, 4 MGU-Ks, and 4 turbochargers (TC), 2 batteries (ES), 2 control electronics (CE), and 8 exhaust systems.
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Updated table of parts used by each driver in 2025 (after the Bahrain GP and the FIA document dated 18-04)
| N. | Scuderia | Pilota | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 04 | McLaren | Lando Norris | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 44 | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 01 | Red Bull | Max Verstappen | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 22 | Red Bull | Yuki Tsunoda | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 07 | Alpine | Jack Doohan | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 31 | Haas | Esteban Ocon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 87 | Haas | Olivier Bearman | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 06 | RBR | Isack Hadjar | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 30 | RBR | Liam Lawson | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 23 | Williams | Alexander Albon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 55 | Williams | Carlos Sainz | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | Sauber | Gabriel Bortoleto | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 05 | Sauber | Nico Hulkenberg | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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