2026 Hybrid Powerunits

[Brahmal]

Red Bull battery

[FW17]

Looks like Newey has taken a lot of Red Bull Powertrains architecture to Honda. For all you know Red Bull Architecture was done in consultation with Newey in 2023-24

[Farnborough]

Looks like Newey has taken a lot of Red Bull Powertrains architecture to Honda. For all you know Red Bull Architecture was done in consultation with Newey in 2023-24

Agree with AN overview of that period within RB along with the influence that generated.

You'd have a good guess that AN (when at RB) was with significant input to formalise an ideal layout and distribution, to afford the PU development team a golden opportunity in bespoke path for specification.

[FW17]

If true then everyone other than RBPT is a lock for at least ADUO 1 after Miami. While it is impressive that RBPT have seemingly produced the 2nd best ICE and are within 2% of Mercedes, it would be a failure to not have managed the output to at least qualify for ADUO 1. They were clearly planning on it and with their very real weight and balance issues on the chassis side, nerfing the ICE for the first few races would have been meaningless to the overall competitive picture.

Edit - some early estimates on sm

Mercedes: 580 hp
RBPT Ford: 571.5 hp
Ferrari: 560 hp
Audi: 544 hp
Honda: 544 hp

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-fe ... /10810719/

ICE 580 + MGU 160 = 740 HP

That is the V8 F1 had in 2013 but with a 130 kg additional weight in qualifying and 50 kg additional weight in race.

In 2025 F1 had about 1000 hp with 4500mj of energy. With 67% of the energy (3000MJ) 740hp is a good number

If F1 goes for 160 hp (120KW) deployment that will give 33 seconds of full throttle deployment with a full 4MJ battery, The same deployment points as in 2025.

If more than energy is harvested by brakes alone (up to 6MJ in some circuits) that would be additional full throttle time.

But even if you don't like 740 hp number, it is a lot better than seeing cars slowing down dangerously on straights for harvesting or drivers not committing to fast and medium corners.

[Martin Keene]

Looks like Newey has taken a lot of Red Bull Powertrains architecture to Honda. For all you know Red Bull Architecture was done in consultation with Newey in 2023-24

Newey only started working with Aston Martin in April 2025. Honda's core engine architecture will have been finalised a long time before that.

[JordanMugen]

ICE 580 + MGU 160 = 740 HP

That is the V8 F1 had in 2013 but with a 130 kg additional weight in qualifying and 50 kg additional weight in race.

In 2025 F1 had about 1000 hp with 4500mj of energy. With 67% of the energy (3000MJ) 740hp is a good number

If F1 goes for 160 hp (120KW) deployment that will give 33 seconds of full throttle deployment with a full 4MJ battery, The same deployment points as in 2025.

If more than energy is harvested by brakes alone (up to 6MJ in some circuits) that would be additional full throttle time.

But even if you don't like 740 hp number, it is a lot better than seeing cars slowing down dangerously on straights for harvesting or drivers not committing to fast and medium corners.

120kW MGU-K seems like a very extreme choice and quite unlikely compared to 200kW or 250kW MGU-K ?

One worries that Mercedes and Audi will still demand 350kW MGU-H in some circumstances (maybe then tapering off much more aggressively), so they can claim the ~50/50 marketing still.

[gearboxtrouble]

ICE 580 + MGU 160 = 740 HP

That is the V8 F1 had in 2013 but with a 130 kg additional weight in qualifying and 50 kg additional weight in race.

In 2025 F1 had about 1000 hp with 4500mj of energy. With 67% of the energy (3000MJ) 740hp is a good number

If F1 goes for 160 hp (120KW) deployment that will give 33 seconds of full throttle deployment with a full 4MJ battery, The same deployment points as in 2025.

If more than energy is harvested by brakes alone (up to 6MJ in some circuits) that would be additional full throttle time.

But even if you don't like 740 hp number, it is a lot better than seeing cars slowing down dangerously on straights for harvesting or drivers not committing to fast and medium corners.

120kW MGU-K seems like a very extreme choice and quite unlikely compared to 200kW or 250kW MGU-K ?

One worries that Mercedes and Audi will still demand 350kW MGU-H in some circumstances (maybe then tapering off much more aggressively), so they can claim the ~50/50 marketing still.

Technically even a 120KW capped MGU-K would still be capable of 350KW uncapped so it would be capable of 50/50 on paper. Its such a dumb marketing requirement that it merits an equally dumb paper solution. Maybe they could allow 350KW for 1s a lap on the main strait to check the box while capping it to whatever it needs to be to have max deployment of brake energy alone while ECU blocking harvesting when not braking.

[diffuser]

Starting to get more and more irritated about F1 dropping the MGU-H. We're starting to see it everywhere in road cars. Mercedes has been using it for a while, and BMW has as well. Earlier this year, we saw the Porsche 911 come with a modified version of an e-turbo. Now Honda is releasing a three-cylinder motorcycle engine with an electric compressor. The electric compressor doesn’t work all the time, nor does it produce high amounts of boost, but it does give the motor a flat torque curve from basically just above idle. Once the engine gets up to a high enough RPM, it switches to naturally aspirated. F1, with all its wisdom, removed it.

[emp]

F1 didn't remove it as an organization, the teams that compete did, for more logical or not so logical reasons, like they wouldn't agree to a front axle recovery.

I also agree that even a standardized MGU-H provided by one of the manufacturers would've been a blessing in this regulation cycle and we would've enjoyed a much more competitive formula.

There still is time to do this for next year but I doubt it because that would make them look bad and they have egos the size of our galaxy.

[diffuser]

F1 didn't remove it as an organization, the teams that compete did, for more logical or not so logical reasons, like they wouldn't agree to a front axle recovery.

I also agree that even a standardized MGU-H provided by one of the manufacturers would've been a blessing in this regulation cycle and we would've enjoyed a much more competitive formula.

There still is time to do this for next year but I doubt it because that would make them look bad and they have egos the size of our galaxy.

tomato, tomahto. I meant F1 as a group, FIA Liberty FOM, everybody involved.

[NL_Fer]

How about this silly overtake mode. Attacker keeps full 350kw till 340kph and flies past, while defender has his power reduced from 290kph and already superclipping going into the breaking zone. The next corner the attacker has a depleted battery.

Maybe if the rules go back to 200kw deployment, how about the attacker can use 350kw. Then both keep the same rule and reduce mgu-k output above 290kph or even earlier (like 270kph).

Attacker only gets a little boost to catch up at the first part of the straight, then has to make the attack work himself.

[chipengineer]

How about this silly overtake mode. Attacker keeps full 350kw till 340kph and flies past, while defender has his power reduced from 290kph and already superclipping going into the breaking zone. The next corner the attacker has a depleted battery.

Maybe if the rules go back to 200kw deployment, how about the attacker can use 350kw. Then both keep the same rule and reduce mgu-k output above 290kph or even earlier (like 270kph).

Attacker only gets a little boost to catch up at the first part of the straight, then has to make the attack work himself.

That could work. But, alternatively to avoid changes depending on speed:
Allow full 350kW power for both initially, but defender can only use 1 MJ on each straight, attacker can use 1.3 MJ (or whatever number is best for passes to not be easy). Once these energy limits are reached, electrical power is limited to 200kW for both.

[michl420]

For this engine formula, my overtake modus would be button that do override the mguk cut from the software. Nothing more. We are so used to some overtaking help, maybe they should try it without.