During the 2026 Formula 1 championship, the spectrum of penalties that will be received by drivers on the starting grid due to the use of extra power unit components beyond those permitted by the regulations will become an even bigger threat. Currently, the regulation provides that each driver can use only three power units throughout the championship.
The 2022 engines have as components the turbo, the ICE (thermal engine), the MGU-K and the MGU-H. The latter will no longer be part of the 2026 engines, which is intended to help Porsche and Audi after Honda from 2015 onwards spent many seasons without acceptable results mainly due to the lack of experience on the MGU-H component.
In 2026 the power units will consist of ICE, turbo and MGU-K. According to what was reported by the German newspaper Auto Motor und Sport, in the 2026 Formula 1 season each driver will be able to use 4 ICE, 4 turbo and 3 MGU-K (with as many batteries) throughout the entire championship. Any extra element will lead to penalties on the starting grid.
Currently, the first time an extra component is introduced is sanctioned with a penalty of ten positions, from the second time onwards the positions become five. Compared to what happens now, moreover, the exhaust systems will be halved, from eight to four, without the possibility to be able to swap them from one engine to another. In addition, after a first year of ‘abundance’, from 2027 there will be three ICEs and turbos available, while only two MGU-K and two batteries will be allowed by the new regulations.
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