Silverstone hosts the ninth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, which was reduced from 24 to 22 races following the cancellation of the Middle East Grands Prix due to the ongoing conflicts. The iconic British circuit, with its long full-throttle sections and high-speed corners, demands maximum performance from every power unit.
For that reason, many teams have introduced fresh power units for the British Grand Prix, either brand-new or recently added to their rotation. One particularly interesting detail concerns the Ferrari-powered customer teams, which have now introduced their third power unit, the first to benefit from the small performance gain permitted under the ADUO development allowance.
The latest data also reveals a growing reliability concern involving the Energy Store (ES) and the Control Electronics (PU-CE). While the usage of the remaining power unit components remains broadly in line with planned rotation strategies, the fact that many teams have already used virtually all the batteries and control electronics permitted by the regulations after only one-third of the championship is a significant warning sign.
Updated 2026 power unit component usage by driver
Data updated using FIA documents covering the new power unit elements introduced for the 2026 British Grand Prix.
| No. | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | EXH | MGU-K | ES | PU-CE | PU-ANC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren Mercedes | Oscar Piastri | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 01 | McLaren Mercedes | Lando Norris | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 12 | Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 03 | Red Bull Racing RB Ford* | Max Verstappen | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 06 | Red Bull Racing RB Ford* | Isack Hadjar | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 44 | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 23 | Atlassian Williams Mercedes | Alexander Albon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 55 | Atlassian Williams Mercedes | Carlos Sainz | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 41 | Racing Bulls RB Ford* | Arvid Lindblad | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 30 | Racing Bulls RB Ford* | Liam Lawson | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Aston Martin Aramco Honda | Lance Stroll | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 14 | Aston Martin Aramco Honda | Fernando Alonso | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 31 | Haas Ferrari | Esteban Ocon | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 87 | Haas Ferrari | Oliver Bearman | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 27 | Audi* | Nico Hülkenberg | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 05 | Audi* | Gabriel Bortoleto | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 10 | Alpine Mercedes | Pierre Gasly | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 43 | Alpine Mercedes | Franco Colapinto | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Cadillac Ferrari | Sergio Perez | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 77 | Cadillac Ferrari | Valtteri Bottas | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
* New power unit manufacturer with regulatory exemption (one additional unit permitted per category).
Current situation: who is at risk of grid penalties?
The regulatory framework is defined by Article B8.2 – Power Unit Limitations & Usage, which establishes the maximum number of components that may be used, how they are counted, and the penalties applied when those limits are exceeded. As 2026 marks the first season under Formula 1’s new technical regulations, teams are allowed one additional unit in each category. This raises the limits to four ICEs, four turbochargers (TC), four exhaust systems (EXH), three Energy Stores (ES), three Control Electronics (PU-CE), three MGU-K units and six PU-ANC components.
For this season, an additional exemption has also been granted to manufacturers making their debut under the new power unit regulations, such as Ford and Audi. These manufacturers are entitled to one extra unit in every category. The FIA also retains the right to revise these limits should widespread reliability issues emerge during the championship.
Whenever a driver exceeds the permitted allocation, grid penalties are triggered. The first additional component in a category carries a 10-place grid penalty, while every subsequent extra component in the same category results in a further five-place drop. These penalties are cumulative and are applied at the event where the new component is introduced.
If multiple additional components of the same type are fitted during a single race weekend, only the last one installed may continue to be used at future Grands Prix without incurring further penalties. Certain EXC or minor components may still be replaced without sanction, provided the work is carried out under FIA supervision and the replacement parts fully comply with the technical regulations.
Overall, the power unit situation remains under control, but the safety margin has become increasingly narrow for several drivers heading into the Silverstone weekend. Many are now effectively in the “orange zone”, meaning they are using the final permitted component before an automatic grid penalty is triggered. That represents a significant risk during a Sprint weekend, where accidents or unexpected reliability issues could force unplanned component changes.
Drivers already in this position for both the Energy Store and Control Electronics include Lando Norris, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Alexander Albon, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto. Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto are only one Control Electronics unit away from penalties, while Isack Hadjar has reached the same threshold for both the Energy Store and Control Electronics despite benefiting from the additional allocation available to new manufacturers. Lance Stroll is also on his final permitted MGU-K unit. The next replacement in any of these categories will automatically result in fresh grid penalties.
The most delicate situation, however, concerns the Honda-powered Aston Martin operation. Lance Stroll has already exceeded the permitted allocation for both the Energy Store and Control Electronics, while Fernando Alonso has gone beyond the limit for the MGU-K, Energy Store and Control Electronics, and has also reached the final available PU-ANC component.
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