Australian GP 2026 engine situation: Russell’s Mercedes already receives three power unit changes

Australian GP 2026 – Power unit situation: already 3 changes on Russell’s Mercedes

With the green light of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, a new technical era for Formula 1 officially begins. The management of the 2026 power unit components immediately returns to the center of attention, not only from a technical perspective but also from a strategic one: the first weekend of the year represents the starting point of a path that must be planned with great care throughout the entire season.

The new technical regulations introduce a deeply revised power unit: the MGU-H disappears definitively, the weight of the electrical component increases, and the balance between the internal combustion engine and recovered energy changes. However, precise limits remain regarding the number of elements that can be used during the championship, beyond which grid penalties automatically come into effect.

In the 2026 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, the management of power unit components is governed primarily by Article B8.2 – Power Unit Limitations & Usage. This section establishes the maximum number of units that each driver may use during the championship, the way in which those components are counted, and the penalties that apply if the limits are exceeded.

Seasonal limit for components

Article B8.2.2 states that, during the championship, each driver may use a maximum number of power unit components. The count is personal and not per team. The limits established by the regulations are:

3 internal combustion engines (ICE)
3 turbochargers (TC)
3 exhaust systems (EXH)
2 energy stores (ES)
2 power unit control electronics (PU-CE)
2 MGU-K
5 power unit ancillary components (PU-ANC)

The regulations also specify that each item includes the set of parts contained within the respective sealed perimeter defined in the technical appendices (Appendix C4).

When a component is considered used

According to Article B8.2.8, a power unit element is counted as used the moment the car leaves the pit lane with that component installed. It is not necessary to complete a lap or actually participate in the session: simply exiting the pit lane is sufficient to register the use of the unit.

Penalties for exceeding the limits

If a driver uses more components than the number allowed, the regulations impose grid penalties. Article B8.2.8 establishes that:

the first time an additional element of a given type is used, a 10-place grid penalty is applied;
for every further element of the same type, the penalty drops to 5 places.

The penalties are cumulative and are applied at the first race in which the new component is used.

The regulations also clarify that if several additional elements of the same category are introduced during the same weekend, only the last one installed may be reused in subsequent events without incurring further penalties.

Sealing of the components

Article B8.2.9 provides that the FIA applies official seals to power unit components before their first use in competition, in order to prevent unauthorized modifications or reconstructions. After every race, additional seals are applied to ICE, TC, and MGU-K units to prevent them from being dismantled or used between events.

Components that can be replaced without penalty

Some parts classified as “EXC” or as minor parts in Appendix C4 may be replaced without triggering the penalties established by Article B8.2.8. In the event that seals are broken, the replacement must take place under FIA supervision and with homologated components.

Derogations and special cases

Article B8.2.3 provides for an exception for power unit manufacturers in their first year of supply: in this case, drivers may use one additional unit for each of the component categories defined by the regulations. In addition, the FIA may authorize an increase in the limits if significant and widespread reliability issues emerge.

Driver substitutions

Finally, Article B8.2.7 states that if a driver is replaced during the championship, the new driver inherits the count of components already used by their predecessor. In this way, continuity is maintained in the monitoring of the power units used by the car throughout the season.

Updated table of parts used by each driver in 2026

(FIA document)

No. | Team                     | Driver              | ICE | TC | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX | ANC
81  | McLaren Mercedes         | Oscar Piastri       | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
1   | McLaren Mercedes         | Lando Norris        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
63  | Mercedes                 | George Russell      | 0   | 0  | 0     | 1  | 1  | 0  | 1
12  | Mercedes                 | Kimi Antonelli      | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
3   | Red Bull Ford RBPT       | Max Verstappen      | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
6   | Red Bull Ford RBPT       | Isack Hadjar        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
16  | Ferrari                  | Charles Leclerc     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
44  | Ferrari                  | Lewis Hamilton      | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
23  | Williams Mercedes        | Alexander Albon     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
55  | Williams Mercedes        | Carlos Sainz        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
41  | RBR Ford RBPT            | Arvid Lindblad      | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
30  | RBR Ford RBPT            | Liam Lawson         | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
18  | Aston Martin Honda       | Lance Stroll        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
14  | Aston Martin Honda       | Fernando Alonso     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
31  | Haas Ferrari             | Esteban Ocon        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
87  | Haas Ferrari             | Olivier Bearman     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
27  | Audi                     | Gabriel Bortoleto   | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
5   | Audi                     | Nico Hulkenberg     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
10  | Alpine Mercedes          | Pierre Gasly        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
7   | Alpine Mercedes          | Franco Colapinto    | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
77  | Cadillac Ferrari         | Valtteri Bottas     | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0
11  | Cadillac Ferrari         | Sergio Perez        | 0   | 0  | 0     | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0

Current situation

All drivers start from zero, and the FIA has communicated only one update. In the report from the FIA Technical Delegate published on March 7, it emerges that George Russell has introduced new power unit elements on his Mercedes. Specifically, the British driver is using a new energy store (ES), new control electronics (PU-CE), and a new power unit ancillary component (PU-ANC) for the remainder of the competition.

All three elements fall within the limits permitted by the 2026 regulations and represent the second component used during the season, therefore without incurring any penalties.