Bahrain GP power unit status: three drivers penalised, Ferrari and Mercedes at the limit

The Bahrain GP, exceptionally being held at Sepang, begins with an increasingly delicate power unit situation for several drivers. Following numerous replacements over the season, particularly at the previous round in Baku, the first FIA documents published in Malaysia now bring the number of drivers beyond the seasonal limit in at least one component to ten.

Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto join the already known cases of Norris, Antonelli, Hadjar, Albon, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso and Bearman. The positions of Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc, Hamilton and Ocon remain particularly delicate: these drivers have not yet exceeded any allocation, but have now reached the limit for almost all of the principal power unit components.

It should be remembered that the 2026 regulations allow four ICEs, four turbos, four EXHs, three MGU-Ks, three Energy Stores, three PU-CEs and six PU-ANCs. The FIA Technical Delegate’s second document already updates the initial picture for the weekend: Hadjar introduces a seventh ICE; Lindblad a fifth ICE, fifth turbo, fifth exhaust set and sixth PU-ANC; Colapinto a fifth ICE; while Bottas moves onto a fourth ICE and fourth turbo.

F1 2026 power units: updated situation for the Bahrain GP

Table updated with the FIA Technical Delegate’s Report of 2 October 2026 and the new components introduced at the start of the Sepang weekend.

Orange = final component available before a penalty | Red = regulatory limit already exceeded at this or other GPs

Three drivers over the limit at Sepang

The first replacements of the weekend have direct consequences for Hadjar, Lindblad and Colapinto. Hadjar introduces a seventh ICE after already using six, meaning the new engine falls outside his permitted allocation. Lindblad exceeds the limit in three categories simultaneously, moving onto a fifth ICE, fifth turbo and fifth exhaust set; his sixth PU-ANC remains entirely within the regulations. Colapinto moves onto a fifth ICE and exceeds the permitted allocation for the internal combustion engine for the first time.

Bottas, meanwhile, fits a fourth ICE and fourth turbo. Both represent the final permitted component and do not incur any penalty.

Penalties for the Bahrain GP

The Technical Delegate’s Report establishes which new components comply with Article B8.2.2 of the regulations and which do not. Pending the relevant formal decisions from the Stewards, the out-of-allocation replacements therefore concern Hadjar, Lindblad and Colapinto. Hadjar uses a seventh ICE, therefore one further unit beyond those extra units already used; Lindblad introduces components beyond the limit for the first time in the ICE, turbo and exhaust categories, while Colapinto moves onto a fifth ICE. For Lindblad, the accumulation of the three replacements makes for a particularly severe grid penalty. His sixth PU-ANC and Bottas’s new components, however, remain within the allocation and do not generate penalties.

Ferrari and Mercedes with no margin

Ferrari’s situation remains unchanged from Baku. Leclerc and Hamilton have used their entire available allocation in every category: four ICEs, four turbos, four EXHs, three MGU-Ks, three Energy Stores, three PU-CEs and six PU-ANCs. Both therefore remain within the limits, but have no margin left: the introduction of a further component in any of those categories would take them beyond their allocation.

Mercedes’ picture is equally delicate. Russell has reached the limit with four ICEs, four TCs, four EXHs, three MGU-Ks, three ESs and three PU-CEs, retaining margin only on PU-ANCs. Antonelli, by contrast, is already beyond the limit with his fifth ICE, fourth Energy Store and fourth PU-CE.

At McLaren, Piastri is at the limit with his fourth ICE, third Energy Store and third PU-CE, while Norris has already exceeded his allocation with a fourth PU-CE and is at the limit on ICEs and Energy Stores.

Hadjar further worsens an already extreme situation. With the new engine introduced at Sepang, he now has seven ICEs, alongside six turbos, six EXHs, four MGU-Ks, four ESs, four PU-CEs and seven PU-ANCs.

Aston Martin remains the most extreme case

The highest overall figures continue to belong to Aston Martin. Stroll stands at five ICEs, six turbos, three EXHs, five MGU-Ks, seven Energy Stores, six PU-CEs and eight PU-ANCs. Alonso has five ICEs, five turbos, three EXHs, five MGU-Ks, seven ESs, six PU-CEs and nine PU-ANCs. Both have therefore already comfortably exceeded their allocation in almost every category.

The picture will naturally continue to be updated throughout the weekend on the basis of subsequent FIA Technical Delegate documents and Stewards’ decisions, with particular attention on any further components introduced and the associated penalties.

Bahrain GP 2026: complete guide

This is one of our technical features dedicated to the Bahrain GP weekend. Alongside the power unit situation, we cover the developments seen in the pit lane, upgrades officially declared by the teams, tyre degradation and strategy analysis, television and streaming schedules, and an analysis of braking and energy management at the Sepang circuit.