F1’s 2026 power unit regulations represent the sport’s biggest engineering shake-up in years — and the effects are already showing on track. In this edition of Autosport Explains, Jake Boxall-Legge sat down with Powertrains Engineer Estanis Buigues Mahiques to break down what’s actually changed: a weaker combustion engine, tripled electric output, the death of the MGU-H, and a new energy management philosophy that’s closer to Formula E than anything F1 fans have seen before.
From turbo lag at race starts to cars dropping into first gear through slow corners, Estanis explains the engineering realities behind the quirks teams are scrambling to solve as the season gets underway.
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