Ferrari's attention is clearly on the SF-24 and the start of the season, which kicks off in less than two weeks in Bahrain, home of the first round of the championship. The heart of the new single-seater will once again be the Cavallino engine which has a lot in common with that of the past two years, given the choice to freeze the units, although this does not take away from the fact that the engineers have worked on further reliability modifications to address a season of 24 races.
However, behind the scenes, work is also underway for the future, for the new Power Unit which will make its debut in 2026 at the start of the new technical cycle. The regulations for the new units were in fact released a few years ago, giving interesting manufacturers the opportunity to begin the development phase in view of their debut.
The new Power Units will make the electrical part an even more fundamental component given that the new regulation will impart a different distribution of power: the energy of the hybrid will rise to around 50% of the total, with a significant reduction in the thermal part which should fall compared to to the current units. A choice that focuses on wanting to make electrical components increasingly central, in a world that is moving towards the electrification of road cars.
Ferrari F1-75, engine detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
However, the key word is not so much power, which will clearly continue to be a key element for winning, but rather efficiency, both in design and use. The Power Units will no longer be able to rely on the MGU-H and the position of the K motor generator will have to be revised, placing it inside the chassis for safety reasons. The design phase will therefore require different packaging than in the past, but also a dedicated use of how to make the most of the energy available.
Ferrari has already carried out the first bench tests of the “base” engine at the end of 2023, which will clearly continue to be developed and updated before its debut in two years. As we approach the regulatory revolution, a large part of the resources begins to be diverted towards the new project.
“2024 will certainly be a challenging year for the Power Unit department, because the 2026 program is starting to be increasingly present in our development path. So it is true that we are entering this phase where we are developing the fundamental parts of the new powertrain. But in terms of percentage it's somehow easy, because at the end of the day you know we have dyno hours [banco] for the current period which are somehow defined and which are reduced from season to season”, explained Enrico Gualtieri regarding the development of the 2026 Power Units.
“This season, therefore, we will have a further reduction in the test hours that we can use on the current Power Unit. So we are somewhat reducing, by definition, the commitment on the current engine, everything else obviously has to be managed through the new project. It is also true that, despite this challenge, we are also focused on the 2024 season, because it seems to be the longest season ever and we know that it will be demanding for the components and for the power unit itself”, added the head of the engine area, explaining how the focus is progressively shifting towards the future.
MGU-H
Photo by: Magneti Marelli
The farewell of the MGU-H, eliminated both for reasons of costs and to give new manufacturers the opportunity to enter Formula 1 without having to make up for a large gap in the management of this component, represents an aspect with which the teams will have to deal accounts.
“Obviously I can't go into too much detail about the technical aspects of ICE. But for sure the turbocharger will be different. We actually used the MGH to be able to control the speed of the turbo so we could always control the mixture parameters on the engine, and now we're moving to a regular turbocharger. It will certainly have to respond to different criteria in terms of design and this is an aspect that we are evaluating in this period”, added Gualtieri.
“Regarding the heat engine, I would say that all in all it is true that we always have the same format, even more limited in terms of power, because in the end it will be a regulation driven by the flow of energy. So, I would say that at least the main principle of keeping combustion as efficient as possible will still be the main theme for properly designing the internal combustion engine of 2026.”
With the entry into force of the new regulation on Power Units, a new budget cap for Power Unit manufacturers also made its debut, in order to prescribe expenses also on this issue. Undoubtedly the fact that the current units are frozen represents a help, because the resources can be progressively allocated to 2026, but it is still a change to which manufacturers must adapt by learning to review all processes to operate in the most efficient way possible.
Enrico Gualtieri
“As of last year for 2026 activities, we are under the budget gap. It was definitely a change for us and for all of us builders. By regulation, it's simply a matter of limits that we have to respect and work with. It is certainly changing the way we approach work in some way, because it is an additional perspective for our work. It is no longer just about reliability and performance, but also, of course, about financial regulation and expenses. We've had to change the approach we use to do things. We had to design all the solutions more efficiently.”
A new competitor, Audi, will join in 2026, which will obviously have to start from scratch having not taken part in the current regulatory cycle. The German manufacturer will be joined by the return of Honda, although the Japanese brand already has references thanks to the experience accumulated in recent years, while GM has already announced its intention to debut with its own Power Unit in 2028, in the hope of being able working alongside Andretti. Gualtieri underlined the complexity of these new projects, in particular for these manufacturers who essentially have to start from a blank sheet of paper.
“It's hard to say because obviously I'm not in their facilities or in their shoes. But in the end I believe that the level of complexity of this product is certainly high. And it is true that preparing a brand new project is not an easy task for anyone, so the work they are doing deserves respect, because it is certainly necessary to learn and create something that is not only related to design, not only related to skills or skills from an engineering point of view, but also in terms of logistics or infrastructure. So, certainly, they too are facing an important and enormous challenge.”
Ferrari F1-75 engine
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
“For our part, obviously, the situation is different. It is also true that we have to cope with the ongoing program, which somehow still requires energy to obviously be taken care of in view of what we have to use during the season. So in some ways they are different challenges, but both are quite high in terms of effort level.”
The new regulations also provide a balancing system in case the competitiveness levels are not aligned, giving those who are behind the possibility of getting closer to the top. However, the methods and details regarding how this system will work have not yet been defined: we will work on this issue in the coming months, in order to find a meeting point that can satisfy everyone. Already with Alpine last year we could see how complicated it was to find a balance, so much so that the French manufacturer did not make substantial changes to its unit.
“Yes, honestly there are no updates to what was agreed in terms of the regulations. It is true that there is this type of opportunity in the regulations, but we have not yet had the opportunity to delve deeper together with the FIA and the other Power Unit manufacturers. But for now there is this part of the regulation that we will analyze in the coming months”, added the head of the Cavallino Power Unit division.
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