Dutch GP – Official Power Unit components table: penalty risk for everyone, Verstappen still safe
The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship has already completed 14 of the 24 scheduled Grands Prix on this record-long calendar. During the season, teams cannot freely use unlimited new Power Unit components, but must instead comply with the strict limits set by the regulations. Once those limits are exceeded, drivers automatically receive grid penalties.
Due to reliability issues, crashes, or even the strategic rotation of fresh parts that can deliver extra performance, almost every team is now close to having used up all their allocated components. As the championship enters its second half, grid penalties will therefore become a central storyline. Teams will have to choose carefully at which circuits they sacrifice grid position in order to fit a new, more powerful engine – as already happened at Spa-Francorchamps for Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Williams. On that occasion, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz all took new Power Units after poor qualifying sessions, making their 10-place grid penalties almost painless. Some teams could repeat this strategy in the Netherlands, but given the unique difficulties of Zandvoort, most will likely try to manage their components without adding new penalties.
According to the regulations (Article 28.2), in the 2025 season each driver is limited to a maximum of 4 internal combustion engines (ICE), 4 turbochargers (TC), 4 MGU-H units, 4 MGU-K units, 2 energy stores (ES), 2 control electronics (CE) and 8 exhaust systems (EX).
Updated table of Power Unit usage by driver in 2025
(after the Hungarian GP and FIA document dated 01/08)
| N. | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren Mercedes | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 04 | McLaren Mercedes | Lando Norris | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 44 | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 01 | Red Bull Honda RBPT | Max Verstappen | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 22 | Red Bull Honda RBPT | Yuki Tsunoda | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 12 | Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Aston Martin Mercedes | Lance Stroll | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Aston Martin Mercedes | Fernando Alonso | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Alpine Renault | Pierre Gasly | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 07 | Alpine Renault | Franco Colapinto | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 31 | Haas Ferrari | Esteban Ocon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 87 | Haas Ferrari | Olivier Bearman | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 06 | RBR Honda RBPT | Isack Hadjar | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 30 | RBR Honda RBPT | Liam Lawson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 23 | Williams Mercedes | Alexander Albon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 55 | Williams Mercedes | Carlos Sainz | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 27 | Kick Sauber Ferrari | Gabriel Bortoleto | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 05 | Kick Sauber Ferrari | Nico Hulkenberg | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Updated situation
Lewis Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto and Liam Lawson have already exceeded the regulatory limits for ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K. Any further component changes will automatically bring new penalties.
Just below the threshold are Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman, all of whom have already reached four changes on the main Power Unit elements. These drivers will have to manage the second half of the season extremely carefully, as any additional component fitted will result in a grid penalty.
The only driver with some margin left is Max Verstappen, who has so far used just three units for ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K, although he has already reached the limit with his energy stores and control electronics. This gives him greater flexibility compared to his direct rivals.
Also relatively safe for now are Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, who are still at three or fewer changes for ICE, TC, MGU-H and MGU-K. However, some of them are already on the edge with their batteries and control electronics, which could force them into selective penalties later in the season.
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