F1 engines 2026: ‘Interesting for new manufacturers’

After a long period of consultation between Formula 1 teams, the FIA ​​and potential new engine manufacturers, the engine regulations for 2026 are now really in place. The FIA ​​will announce what the power sources will look like from that year. The high-revving 1.6 V6 remains and the MGU-K may also remain. In short, the latter converts kinetic energy into electricity and can then deliver power to the drivetrain. The more complex MGU-H, which generates electricity from heat and can feed electrical power back to the turbo and the powertrain, is disappearing.

More emphasis will be placed on electric propulsion. That is to say: where the MGU-K and MGU-K still jointly deliver a power of about 160 hp, that should be almost 480 hp. That will then be purely on the plate of the MGU-K. It roughly translates to 50 percent power from fuel and 50 percent power from electricity. In addition, by 2026, the combustion engine will only use 100 percent sustainable fuel. This, of course, to reduce the ecological footprint of Formula 1.

The most important thing for potential new engine manufacturers is that the MGU-H is going away. As mentioned, this is a complex part that no longer needs to be developed before 2026. “The aim of the regulations is to make it attractive and possible for newcomers to enter the sport in a competitive manner,” the FIA ​​said. Reportedly, the disappearance of the MGU-H has been the main focus of the Volkswagen Group in talks with F1 and the FIA ​​to join by 2026. Now that the MGU-H is finally off the table, the door is open for Porsche and Audi. probably wide open. Porsche will probably soon announce that it will enter Formula 1 as of 2026, almost certainly as an engine supplier to Red Bull. Audi is mentioned as a possible takeover candidate from Sauber, which now appears at the start under the banner of Alfa Romeo.