Ferrari and the 2026 PU: adapting to a revolutionary coupler. The 2026 F1 regulations introduce a new hybrid coupler.

The FIA has proposed a reduction of 150 kW in electric power during races to avoid recharging problems on tracks like Monza where there is no way to accumulate enough kinetic energy during braking. There is the suspicion that the solution could also help limit reliability issues in the transmission that connects the MGU-K and the V6 turbo engine.

It is the end of April and there is still no clarity on the agile single-seaters that will have to race next year. Mercedes has opposed the FIA’s proposal, supported by Racing Bull Powertrains, to modify the power regime during races by reducing electric availability by 150 kW (over 200 hp) from the intended 350 kW, which is three times the amount currently available in today’s ground-effect F1 cars.
Mercedes’ opposition will guide the engine commission, which will have the task of potentially rewriting the regulations to be changed. There seems to be greater agreement on the idea of not freezing the 2026 power units, allowing manufacturers that are behind to work on performance as well, while the regulations would only allow interventions aimed at reliability.

The intention would not be to grant development tokens as was done in the past, but to allow interventions within an agreed amount added to the budget cap, expanding test bench hours.
Each manufacturer keeps its PU highly secret, avoiding any information leaks in the paddock, but it is becoming increasingly clear that there are still problems to solve and that not everyone is moving in the same direction, whether it be on the internal combustion engine, the hybrid system, or the new transmission that will have to connect the MGU-K with the turbocharged six-cylinder.

According to rumors, the Mercedes engine is the most advanced: the Brixworth unit could replicate the superiority seen at the beginning of the hybrid era in 2014. Both the works team and customers like McLaren, Williams, and Alpine would benefit. The black-silver arrow will have to reassert its supremacy over a customer team like Woking, which has been setting the pace over the last two years.

Adrian Newey, partner and technical director of Aston Martin, had predicted that the 2026 championship risked being decided by who will have the best engine and the most efficient battery, considering that everything possible has been done to make aerodynamics less decisive.
The new motor generator will have to be housed in the chassis for safety reasons, since it will work with high voltage: it must have a minimum weight of 16 kg and will be able to operate at 60,000 rpm, which is 10,000 more than today.

This is very interesting because the electric motor will have to be coupled to the turbocharged six-cylinder capable of 11,000 rpm during gear changes. Some have found an excellent solution to optimize the 350 kW “kick” that will reach the driveshaft when hybrid power is activated, while others are still struggling with a torque splitter that often breaks on the test bench.

There is suspicion that among the reasons pushing the FIA to reduce power by 150 kW in races is also the opportunity to allow manufacturers to put less stress on the “transmission” (without a clutch, but requiring a specific cooling system) and extend the life of an element that did not previously exist: Ferrari, for example, on the SF-25 maintains a complicated planetary gear system that has never caused serious problems, while from 2026 engine manufacturers will have to deal with a coupler that is an entirely new component. Who will have the best solution?