The changes in the power unit of Formula 1 cars for 2026 represent a much greater challenge than the changes made to the chassis. This is the assessment of McLaren’s performance technical director, Mark Temple, who used a curious comparison to explain the new regulation.
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“The power unit, however, that is the big change. It’s more like someone asking you to try corn tortillas,” he said. “Overall, on the chassis side, we still have four black, round tires,” he said. “They behave differently, so you have to learn how they are different, but it’s a case of being a different flavor of the same thing.”
He then completed the analogy. “And that’s true for most of the car. It’s like you’re used to eating traditional salted potato chips, and someone hands you something new like paprika or smoked bacon.”
The 2026 regulations brought smaller, lighter cars, revised tires, and active wings instead of DRS. However, the biggest transformation is in the power unit, which eliminates the MGU-H, increases the MGU-K power to 350 kW, and requires constant energy management during races.
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Temple acknowledged that adaptation goes beyond the work done in simulators: “One thing is sitting in the simulator and being told that the way you are driving is not correct; a completely different thing is being on a race track, competing with other cars and feeling that loss of pressure and reduced power, or finding out that you used too much energy and suddenly one of your rivals overtakes you,” he added.
“This, obviously, is a more visceral experience for the drivers. And, again, they knew the power unit would be a big part of what they would do this year, but reality always seems different.”
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