As the teams begin their phased unveiling of the new cars for the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, the FIA has also confirmed that 6 manufacturers have registered as Power Unit Suppliers for the 2026 – 2030 seasons of the championship.
The manufacturers that will supply the F1 power units are Alpine Racing, Audi, Ferrari, Honda Racing Corporation, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains and Red Bull Ford. It’s interesting that Honda has signed up to be an engine manufacturer after 2025 when Red Bull Racing, which will use its engines until then, will switch to a new power unit jointly developed with Ford (and so will Scuderia AlphaTauri).
Who will Honda supply to?
It would mean finding a new team to partner and with the FIA considering two more teams, perhaps Honda could be their supplier. However, the Andretti team (which is ready to join) can be ruled out since it will be partnered by GM’s Cadillac unit which would likely also register to supply engines.
“The confirmation that there will be 6 Power Unit manufacturers competing in Formula 1 from 2026 is testament to the strength of the championship and the robust technical regulations that have been diligently created by the FIA in close collaboration with Formula 1 and the Power Unit manufacturers,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“The Power Unit is at the forefront of technological innovation, making the future of Formula 1 more sustainable while maintaining the spectacular racing. I am grateful for the confidence of world-leading automotive manufacturers demonstrated by their commitment to Formula 1,” he added.
New regulations from 2026
The power units of the six registrants will be developed in accordance with the technical regulations which will be applied from 2026. Financial regulations will reduce the overall costs for competitors whilst retaining the cutting-edge technological showcase that is at the core of the sport.
To maintain the spectacle, the power units will have similar performance to the current designs, utilizing high-power, high-revving internal combustion engines and avoiding excessive performance differentiation to allow for improved raceability. The ICE will retain the V6 1.6-litre layout at the same RPM, with a reduced fuel flow rate to aim for a power output of approximately 400 kW (about 545 ps).
The Energy Recovery System (ERS) will be increased in power to 350 kW (around 475 ps). This will remain a key area of competition between the manufacturers, with an emphasis on energy flow management to achieve the key objectives of spectacle, increased hybridisation and similar overall performance to the current power units.
100% sustainable fuel
Environmental sustainability for motorsports is a key objective of the FIA. On this respect, the 2026 Power Unit will include an increase in the deployment of electrical power close to 50% and utilize a 100% sustainable fuel. This means all fuel components must come from sustainable sources – either non-food-bio-derived, from genuine municipal waste or from sustainable carbon capture. This ensures that no new fossil carbon will be in the fuels used in F1 racing cars.
The fuel regulations encourage any sustainable production method to be followed without prejudicing on-track performance so fuel suppliers can use F1 as a step in their own pathway to global and commercial scaling up of sustainable technology. More parameters will be limited to ensure the fuel developed is a relevant, drop-in petrol that will be competitive whichever production method is produced.
