By: With six races remaining in the 2026 World Championship, provided the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds are confirmed, power unit management is becoming increasingly strategic. Every driver has now exhausted the regulatory allocation of at least one component: some have already served grid penalties, while for others the question is which circuit offers the best opportunity to introduce new elements. Austin, with its overtaking opportunities, represents one of the most favourable venues to do so.
The first official FIA documents confirm this strategy: three drivers have been penalised for a total of 35 grid places. Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad have introduced new components beyond the seasonal limits. FIA documents No. 14, 15 and 16, published on 23 October, update the picture regarding replacements and penalties for the United States Grand Prix.
The 2026 regulations allow each driver to use four internal combustion engines (ICE), four turbochargers (TC), four exhaust systems (EXH), three MGU-Ks, three Energy Stores (ES), three control electronics (PU-CE) and six auxiliary components (PU-ANC).
F1 2026 power units: the updated situation in Austin
Table updated with the FIA report of 23 October 2026 and stewards' decisions No. 14, 15 and 16. The changes include new components for Colapinto, Bortoleto, Lindblad, Piastri, Antonelli and Sainz.
| No. | Team | Driver | ICE | TC | EXH | MGU-K | ES | PU-CE | PU-ANC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | McLaren Mercedes | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 01 | McLaren Mercedes | Lando Norris | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| 12 | Mercedes | Kimi Antonelli | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 03 | Red Bull Racing RB Ford | Max Verstappen | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 06 | Red Bull Racing RB Ford | Isack Hadjar | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 44 | Ferrari | Lewis Hamilton | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 23 | Williams Mercedes | Alexander Albon | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 55 | Williams Mercedes | Carlos Sainz | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 41 | Racing Bulls RB Ford | Arvid Lindblad | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 30 | Racing Bulls RB Ford | Liam Lawson | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 18 | Aston Martin Honda | Lance Stroll | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| 14 | Aston Martin Honda | Fernando Alonso | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| 31 | Haas Ferrari | Esteban Ocon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 87 | Haas Ferrari | Oliver Bearman | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 27 | Audi | Nico Hülkenberg | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 05 | Audi | Gabriel Bortoleto | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 | Alpine Mercedes | Pierre Gasly | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 43 | Alpine Mercedes | Franco Colapinto | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 11 | Cadillac Ferrari | Sergio Perez | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 77 | Cadillac Ferrari | Valtteri Bottas | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Orange = seasonal allocation exhausted. Red = regulatory limit exceeded. Red values do not automatically result in a further penalty in Austin. The table incorporates all replacements confirmed in the FIA report of 23 October.
Ferrari and Verstappen: virtually no margin left
The most delicate situation among the drivers who have not yet exceeded any allocation concerns Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Both Ferrari drivers have used four ICEs, four turbochargers, four exhaust systems, three MGU-Ks, three Energy Stores, three PU-CEs and six auxiliary components. Ferrari have exhausted every available allocation for both drivers. Any new component introduced in one of those categories would therefore exceed the seasonal limit. That does not necessarily mean further replacements are ruled out: teams can refit components already used, provided they remain serviceable and comply with the regulations.
Verstappen's situation is almost identical, with the sole difference being the auxiliary components, which stand at five of the six permitted. The Dutchman therefore retains a minimal margin, while the comparison with his team-mate highlights two entirely different paths in reliability management.
Red Bull and Aston Martin: the most worrying figures
Isack Hadjar continues to hold the record for internal combustion engine replacements, having used eight ICEs against the four permitted, alongside seven turbochargers, seven exhaust systems and eight auxiliary components. The Frenchman has also already exceeded the limit for MGU-Ks, Energy Stores and control electronics.
Even more problematic, given the overall number of excess components, is the situation of the two Honda-powered Aston Martins. Fernando Alonso has used nine PU-ANCs and seven Energy Stores, while Lance Stroll has reached eight and seven respectively. Both have also reached five ICEs, six turbochargers, five MGU-Ks and six PU-CEs.
Mercedes: Russell and Antonelli already over the limit
The previous Singapore Grand Prix radically changed George Russell's situation, as he introduced six new out-of-allocation elements between Friday and Saturday. The Briton arrives in Austin with five ICEs, five turbochargers, five exhaust systems, four MGU-Ks, four Energy Stores and four PU-CEs.
Kimi Antonelli had already exceeded certain limits at Monza. The Italian driver has used five ICEs, four Energy Stores and four PU-CEs, but still has one unit available for turbochargers and exhaust systems, as well as one MGU-K. He also introduced his sixth auxiliary component in Austin, reaching the seasonal limit for PU-ANCs as well.
Other drivers already over the limit include Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz, Arvid Lindblad, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto. Gabriel Bortoleto joins them in Austin, while Oscar Piastri has reached the limit for ICEs, Energy Stores and PU-CEs without yet exceeding it.
Austin penalties: Bortoleto, Colapinto and Lindblad move back
The first penalties of the United States Grand Prix concern three drivers. The most heavily penalised is Gabriel Bortoleto, who loses 20 places on the grid for introducing a fourth Energy Store and fourth control electronics unit. Both exceed the seasonal limit of three units for the first time, resulting in ten places apiece, as set out in FIA document No. 15.
The Technical Delegate's report also confirms that Bortoleto has introduced a fourth internal combustion engine, fourth turbocharger, fourth exhaust system and sixth auxiliary component. All of those replacements remain within the seasonal limits and do not result in further penalties.
Franco Colapinto also receives a ten-place grid penalty after introducing a fourth PU-CE on his Alpine. Document No. 14 confirms that this is the first excess in that category, penalised under Article B8.2.8a of the FIA Regulations.
Arvid Lindblad, meanwhile, has fitted his sixth internal combustion engine of the season to the Racing Bulls. Having already exceeded the limit of four ICEs, the latest replacement results in a five-place grid penalty, in accordance with FIA document No. 16 and Article B8.2.8b.
In total, the three decisions result in 35 places of grid drops. Bortoleto's 20-place penalty means he will start from the back of the grid under the regulation covering accumulated penalties of at least 15 places. For Colapinto and Lindblad, the drops will instead be applied to the grid according to qualifying results and any further penalties.
One of the FIA reports records new auxiliary components for Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz as well: their fifth, sixth and fifth of the season respectively. None of these replacements incurs a penalty.
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