How many engines are F1 teams allowed in a season?
The 2024 F1 season has arrived, kicking off at the Bahrain International Circuit with plenty of talking points as racing gets underway. News of Lewis Hamilton’s shock departure from Ferrari is still settling, with much talk of his potential replacement.
As with any F1 season, how many engines a driver can use is a key topic, with rule-bending seeming to be a regular occurrence. The power unit (engine) allocation per season has been expanded from three to four per driver for the 2024 and 2025 championships. This follows the increase that was made in 2023.
Modern hybrid power units in Formula 1 cars consist of six main elements: the internal combustion engine (ICE); turbocharger; energy store; control electronics; and two motor generator units – the heat-related MGU-H and kinetic-related MGU-K.
In an F1 season, each vehicle is now allowed to use four ICEs, MGU-Hs and MGU-Ks, and three turbochargers. Two energy stores and two control electronics systems are also permitted throughout the year.
Per the rules of the sport, the first time an extra engine element is used, the driver will receive a 10-place grid penalty. The next time an extra element of the same kind is used, the driver will drop five spots on the grid.
If a driver accumulates a penalty exceeding these 15 grid places, they will be required to start the race at the back. Due to the almost common nature of grid penalties, the FIA have clarified the rules.
Drivers who have receive 15 or fewer grid place penalties are allocated a “temporary” grid position equal to their qualifying classification. If a driver qualifies 10th and has penalties totalling 15 spots, they will be in a temporary position of 25th on the grid.
Should two drivers fall in the same spot, the driver who qualified first will go ahead. All drivers are then shuffled up the grid to close any gaps. A driver who has a penalty of more than 15 places will go last.
