It was previously revealed that the turbocharged, 1.6-litre V6 internal combustion engine element of the power unit is being reduced from 550-560kW down to 400kW , and that the battery element will jump from 150kW up to 350kW to replace that power loss – despite the eradication of the MGU-H. The latest draft of the 2026 power unit regulations has been unveiled by the FIA and presents some new functionality for the more powerful hybrid system to help improve the wheel-to-wheel racing.
It is similar in concept to the KERS function that F1 had between 2009-2013, with drivers able to use that energy allotment to attack, defend or deploy it for lap time improvement. Given how much more reliance is placed on the hybrid aspect of the power unit from 2026 onwards, it means that drivers won’t always have the ability to use the ‘override’ function.