How many power unit components has each driver used in 2026?

Power unit mileage becomes a growing 2026 storyline

Formula 1’s power unit allocation is already moving into sharper focus as Round 8 of the 2026 season gets under way in Austria. With component limits tightly defined and grid penalties waiting for any driver who exceeds them, reliability and usage management are becoming increasingly important strategic factors as the campaign develops.

After Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix, F1.com has provided an overview of the power unit elements used by each driver so far in 2026. The timing is significant: Austria marks a point in the season where teams are no longer simply bedding in hardware, but actively balancing performance demands against the cost of future penalties.

The subject has already been part of the wider Austrian GP technical conversation, including Mercedes’ reliability work ahead of the weekend, covered in our report on the team’s power unit fix for Austria.

Power unit components used so far in 2026

• Oscar Piastri - McLaren-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 1, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 3

• Lando Norris - McLaren-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 4

• George Russell - Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 2, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 5

• Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 1, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 4

• Max Verstappen - Red Bull-Ford

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 3

• Isack Hadjar - Red Bull-Ford

  • Components: ICE: 4, TC: 4, EXH: 4, MGU-K: 2, ES: 4, PU-CE: 4, PU-ANC: 4

• Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 3, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 3

• Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 3, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 4

• Alex Albon - Williams-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 2, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 4

• Carlos Sainz - Williams-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 1, ES: 2, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 4

• Arvid Lindblad - Racing Bulls-Ford

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 2

• Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls-Ford

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 3

• Lance Stroll - Aston Martin-Honda

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 3, ES: 4, PU-CE: 4, PU-ANC: 5

• Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin-Honda

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 4, ES: 4, PU-CE: 4, PU-ANC: 6

• Esteban Ocon - Haas-Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 3

• Ollie Bearman - Haas-Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 2, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 3

• Nico Hulkenberg - Audi

  • Components: ICE: 3, TC: 3, EXH: 3, MGU-K: 3, ES: 1, PU-CE: 1, PU-ANC: 4

• Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 3, ES: 2, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 3

• Pierre Gasly - Alpine-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 1, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 3

• Franco Colapinto - Alpine-Mercedes

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 1, ES: 3, PU-CE: 3, PU-ANC: 3

• Sergio Perez - Cadillac-Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 3

• Valtteri Bottas - Cadillac-Ferrari

  • Components: ICE: 2, TC: 2, EXH: 2, MGU-K: 2, ES: 2, PU-CE: 2, PU-ANC: 2

What components are limited?

F1 power units are divided into several regulated elements: the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), Turbocharger (TC), Energy Store (ES), Control Electronics (CE) and Exhaust (EX).

For the 2026 season, each driver may use no more than four ICEs and Turbochargers, three MGU-Ks, Energy Stores and Control Electronics, plus four Exhaust sets. However, because new regulations came into effect for 2026, one of each of those allocations is treated as a bonus element.

That transitional allowance will not remain in place at the same level. From 2027, the permitted allocation will fall to three ICEs and Turbochargers, two MGU-Ks, Energy Stores and Control Electronics, and three Exhaust sets.

How the penalty system works

If a driver exceeds the permitted number of power unit elements, a grid penalty is applied at the first event where each additional component is used.

The first time the allocation for any one element is exceeded, the driver receives a 10-place grid penalty. The second time that happens for the same type of breach, and for each further occurrence, the penalty becomes a five-place grid drop. If multiple penalties are taken at the same event, they are applied cumulatively.

The consequences can escalate quickly. If a driver receives penalties totalling more than 15 grid places, they must start the race from the back of the field.

As the Austrian Grand Prix weekend progresses, the power unit usage table is therefore more than an administrative record. It is a competitive map of who has margin, who is already under pressure, and where future qualifying performances could be compromised before a car even leaves the garage.