More Than an Engine

F1 deliberately uses the term power unit (PU) rather than “engine,” because it is a combined system: a small internal-combustion engine plus a substantial electric system, working together. Together they produce around 1,000 horsepower while being among the most efficient engines ever built.

Internal-combustion engine (ICE)

A 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 that burns fuel — the traditional half of the power unit.

Electric power

Energy recovered during the lap, stored in a battery, and deployed for a large share of the total output.

Sustainable fuel

A fully sustainable fuel — made from non-fossil sources — that the cars now run on.

The reason for the hybrid is efficiency. A 1.6-litre V6 sounds modest — smaller than many family-car engines — yet it produces enormous power because it is turbocharged, revs far higher than any road engine, and is paired with an electric system that reclaims energy a normal car simply throws away. That blend of small capacity and huge output is exactly the engineering challenge the rules set out to provoke, and it is why the technology is meant to be relevant to road cars, not just the track.