F1 2026: Preparing the turbo requires between 12 and 18 seconds
Observers are increasingly concerned about the new starting procedure under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations. The issue has been — and will continue to be — discussed within the technical committee alongside the FIA, which ultimately holds absolute authority over safety-related rules. Andrea Stella had already raised the matter publicly: “It’s not a resolution that can be postponed.”
Today, a partial procedure was carried out with 11 cars properly spaced on track. While it provided some useful indications, it was far from a full dress rehearsal.
All teams are facing more or less the same optimization challenge, because no engine manufacturer can fully compensate for the loss of energy recovery previously provided by the old MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat). This was well known when the FIA, in agreement with the manufacturers, decided to develop the new hybrid power units with a 50% electrical component.
It is no secret that Audi had made the construction of a simpler engine a key condition for entering Formula 1. The turbocharging system of an F1 car remains highly sophisticated, but it is now more accessible for a newcomer compared to the previous generation.
The turbo’s role is to increase engine power by exploiting the energy of the exhaust gases, achieving extremely high efficiency thanks to ERS integration. Previously, the energy recovered by the MGU-H could be stored in the battery and redirected to the MGU-K, which is connected to the crankshaft and provides additional torque to the rear axle under acceleration.
It is also true that the extremely costly MGU-H had found no practical application in road car production. Its removal required an acceptable compromise between energy recovery under braking and the deployment of the new 350 kW MGU-K.
These new F1 cars must now fight for balance — like a three-legged table.
Engineers are working hard to optimize what they have, but during the formation lap there is still no way to fully prepare the power unit and completely eliminate turbo lag. The solution is to keep engine revs high for a specific period known as “time to boost.”
In simple terms, there is a waiting window ranging from 12 to 18 seconds before full power can be delivered at clutch release during the race start, while the car remains stationary at high revs. This figure should be treated cautiously, but according to paddock sources, the difference between a driver who can execute a more efficient start and one who needs more time could be as much as five seconds.
This largely depends on turbo efficiency. A larger turbine requires more time to spool up but offers a clear peak power advantage. Conversely, a smaller or differently optimized solution improves drivability by reducing inertia and allowing higher revs to recharge the battery more quickly.
In all of this, electronics and fuel play a decisive role in terms of consumption, operational management and overall onboard weight.
Some engine manufacturers, including Ferrari and Audi, have attempted to address the issue upstream by limiting turbine size. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that those two cars were among the slowest off the line in today’s test session, highlighting just how incomplete the current level of optimization still is.
Every design choice comes with pros and cons. In recent months, a Ferrari source had unofficially suggested that in this new regulatory era, outright peak power would not be the key performance factor — effective management of turbo lag would be.
Zimmermann and Gualtieri reportedly held differing views on certain areas of the original 2026 power unit concept, and it will be particularly interesting to monitor in the coming months how the two factories progress with their respective engine projects.
After the Italian line clearly prevailed in Maranello more than a year ago, Mattia Binotto was able to bring back the German engineer along with his right-hand man Lars Schmidt, who was promptly appointed head of the ICE department — a move that now appears anything but coincidental.
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