The 2026 Formula 1 season has ushered in a new era of power‑unit regulations, reshaping how teams manage reliability across the calendar. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo looks at the numbers to analyse the early reliability of the power unit manufacturers.
Each driver is permitted a maximum of four Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs), four Turbochargers (TCs), and four Exhaust (EX) sets, alongside three Motor Generator Unit‑Kinetic (MGU‑K) systems, three Energy Stores (ES), and three Control Electronics (CE) units.
In a notable twist, one of each allocation is designated as a “bonus” component—effectively giving teams a little more breathing room as they adapt to the radically revised hybrid architecture before more stringet rules come into force next season.
With two races completed—Melbourne and Shanghai—the early picture of component usage is surprisingly serene. Most of the grid has used just a single unit of every component, reflecting both the fresh start of the season and the improved reliability targets set by manufacturers for the new regulations.
McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Haas, Audi, Alpine, and the Racing Bulls all show a clean, uniform line of “1” across the board for their drivers, suggesting no early‑season alarms in their garages. However, reigning champion Lando Norris is expected to use new components after his technical issues at Shanghai a fortnight ago.
Mercedes stands out slightly, though not dramatically. George Russell has already moved onto his second Control Electronics and Power Unit Ancillaries, while rookie Kimi Antonelli remains on his first of everything. The CE and ancillary changes after the opening day at the Australian Grand Prix for Russell may simply reflect precautionary swaps rather than genuine reliability concerns, but they are nonetheless the first deviations from the baseline.
While Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has only used a single element in every component, his teammate Isack Hadjar stands out as the most aggressive user of power‑unit components so far, having already moved onto his second unit in every category — ICE, TC, EX, MGU‑K, ES, CE and PU‑ANC following his engine troubles in the opening Melbourne round.
Aston Martin shows the most unusual early‑season profile. Fernando Alonso has already received fresh MGU‑K, ES, and CE components, while his team-mate Lance Stroll has also already used two ancillary sets. The Silverstone-based team’s hybrid systems and the vibration of Honda’s internal combustion engine have been a major talking point heading into 2026, and these early anomalies will undoubtedly attract attention as the season progresses.
Cadillac Ferrari presents a mixed picture: Sergio Pérez has remained on his first of every PU component, while Valtteri Bottas has already used two CE units and two ancillary sets—making him the highest‑usage driver so far in those categories.
