F1 teams face key Power Unit limits and grid penalties
The 2025 Formula 1 World Championship has completed 15 of the 24 scheduled Grands Prix, and now we arrive at round 16 in Monza, a track where the topic of penalties — linked to the use of Power Unit components — can become decisive. On a circuit so dependent on engine power, with extended slipstreams and more overtaking opportunities, it’s not surprising that some teams are considering taking their grid drop now to fit a fresh engine and maximize Sunday performance.
Throughout the season, teams cannot freely replace Power Unit parts: the regulations impose limits beyond which penalties are applied. For reasons of reliability, accidents, or simply rotating in new components, many drivers are already at the maximum allowed or have exceeded it, making strategic management of replacements a key factor in the second half of the championship.
According to the rules (Article 28.2), during the 2025 season a driver may not use more than 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 components used by each driver in 2025
(after the Dutch GP, FIA document dated 05/09)
| No. | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 04 | McLaren | 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 | Max Verstappen | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 22 | Red Bull | Yuki Tsunoda | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 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 | Lance Stroll | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 07 | Alpine | Franco Colapinto | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 31 | Haas | Esteban Ocon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 87 | Haas | Olivier Bearman | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 06 | RBR | Isack Hadjar | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 30 | RBR | Liam Lawson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 23 | Williams | Alexander Albon | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 55 | Williams | Carlos Sainz | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 27 | Kick Sauber | Gabriel Bortoleto | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 05 | Kick Sauber | Nico Hulkenberg | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Current situation
- Exceeding main limits (ICE/TC/MGU-H/MGU-K at 5): Hamilton, Tsunoda, Alonso, Antonelli, Colapinto, Lawson. Each further change on these components triggers new penalties.
- At the limit on main components (all at 4): Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Russell, Stroll, Sainz, Bearman. Any new ICE/TC/MGU-H/MGU-K element now carries a penalty.
- Margin on main components: Verstappen is at 3 for ICE/TC/MGU-H/MGU-K but already at the maximum for ES and CE (2). This gives flexibility for deciding when to push for an engine change.
- Mixed situations: Gasly is at 3 on main components but has exceeded ES and CE (3); Albon, Hadjar, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, and Ocon are more conservative on main components (3 or 4) but some are already at the limit on ES/CE (2), requiring careful planning.
Monza focus
After the “tactical” changes already seen in Belgium, here the risk/reward ratio favors those deciding to drop back on the grid to fit fresh units: long straights, low downforce, and demanding thermal management reward power and PU efficiency. However, be mindful of crowded DRS zones and traffic: starting too far back exposes drivers to trains and lost slipstream time. The timing of changes — during free practice, qualifying, and the type of components replaced — will make all the difference.
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