Thanks to the new regulations planned for 2026, the electric component of the Power Units will become even more important. That’s why manufacturers are exploring new ways to recharge the battery, and one possible solution could be burning excess fuel. This would allow the MGU-K to absorb energy even when the driver doesn’t demand it.
In recent weeks, attention has focused on the future, particularly on the hybrid Power Units that are expected to debut in 2026.
Compared to the current units, the upcoming specifications will see the elimination of the MGU-H, which is considered too expensive and complex. However, the importance of the electric component should still increase, with greater power support compared to what is currently available.
A few days ago, Christian Horner raised concerns that drivers might run out of energy on straights, forcing them to downshift. But gradually, further particularly interesting aspects are emerging, the latest of which relates to the use of excess fuel to recharge the batteries.
Currently, drivers can burn excess fuel, but this generally only happens after long periods of the Safety Car, to get rid of extra weight deemed unnecessary. However, in 2026, this practice could assume an even more significant role by burning excess fuel when it is not needed for the direct engine performance.
This behavior, albeit for different purposes, was already seen in 2010 and 2011 with blown diffusers when teams used sophisticated engine mappings to blow hot air from the exhausts to the rear, thereby increasing aerodynamic load during cornering.
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With the rules planned for the 2026 season, which foresee greater reliance on the electric component, responsible for generating approximately 50% of the entire Power Unit’s power, the issue of battery recharging has become even more important. One of the possible solutions would be to ensure that the engines continue to provide torque to the crankshaft even when the driver doesn’t request it, allowing the energy to be collected by the MGU-K.
Confirming this scenario is one of the engineers working on these new Power Units, Hywel Thomas, Head of Mercedes engines. On the occasion of the British Grand Prix, the English engineer admitted that all manufacturers were aware of this possibility: “Absolutely yes. We will make the engine run when the driver doesn’t require much torque to charge the battery.”
“When we devised these regulations, it was clear that this aspect would be part of it. And, since the fuel is sustainable, it was considered an acceptable and relevant approach to the problem.”
With the abandonment of the MGU-H starting in 2026, the design of the Power Units will also change significantly. The interesting aspect is that, as far as Mercedes is concerned, the main layout of the current PU has remained largely unchanged since 2014, except for some minor modifications. In 2026, however, it will need to be revised to optimize the new regulations, and several characteristics of the thermal engine will also change.
“It will be a completely different combustion system because the amount of fuel will be reduced. There are some details regarding the compression ratio. There are details about the allowed boost pressure. So we have a series of different constraints, and this means that, even though I’m sure it will seem very, very similar to someone, [the PU] will be completely different.”
Thanks to the removal of the MGU-H, according to Thomas, among the secondary aspects of these new units, there will also be an increase in noise. At the moment, no precise revelations have been made, mainly because the manufacturers are currently running only single-cylinder units on the dyno: “We haven’t taken measurements or done anything like that. But certainly, with the removal of the MGU-H, even though we still have a turbocharger, it won’t take away as much energy as we currently exploit.”
“We know that the combustion engine will be less efficient, and therefore, by physics, there will be more noise,” added the Mercedes team leader.
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