Do All F1 Cars Use the Same Engine? 2026 Suppliers and Rules

No. Formula 1 cars do not all use the same engine. Every team follows one FIA rulebook, but the 2026 power units come from five different manufacturers: Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull with Ford, Honda and Audi. This guide shows which manufacturer powers which team, what the regulations fix for everyone, which parts really are identical, and how a manufacturer can still catch up during a season.

Do All F1 Cars Use the Same Engine? The Truth About F1 Power Units

The short answer is no, but teams are not free to build anything they like. The FIA sets the engine architecture in Article C5 of the 2026 Technical Regulations, and each manufacturer then designs and builds its own power unit inside those limits. F1.com uses the term power unit for the whole system: the internal combustion engine (ICE) at its heart, plus the turbocharger, the energy store, the control electronics and the MGU-K motor-generator.

Every fact below names its source and season. Supplier pairings come from an F1.com explainer dated 14 January 2026. Engine rules come from the FIA 2026 Formula 1 Regulations, Section C (Technical), Issue 21, dated 19 October 2026. Both were read on 25 October 2026 and describe the 2026 season only, so later seasons may differ.

Who Makes F1 Engines in 2026?

The F1.com 2026 power unit explainer says F1 has five power unit manufacturers in 2026, of which one is new and two are described as new-ish. Mercedes and Ferrari are the continuity names and power the bulk of the field. The table follows that article.

Manufacturer	Teams powered in 2026	Note from F1.com
Mercedes	Mercedes works team, Williams, Alpine, McLaren	Alpine is described as a new customer
Ferrari	Ferrari works team, Haas, Cadillac	Cadillac is described as a new F1 entry
Red Bull and Ford	The two Red Bull teams	A new collaboration between Red Bull and Ford
Honda	Aston Martin	Returns as a fully fledged manufacturer
Audi	Audi	The team took over Sauber and has a new Audi power unit

Cadillac runs Ferrari power in 2026, and F1.com’s guide to power unit penalties says Cadillac plan to use their own power unit from 2029. For the Red Bull side of the story, read Who Makes Red Bull F1 Cars?, and for the driver’s side see What Car Does Max Verstappen Drive in 2026?.

What the FIA Rulebook Fixes for Every Manufacturer

Article C5 of the FIA 2026 Formula 1 Regulations, Section C (Technical), Issue 21, defines the engine. These limits apply to every manufacturer, listed with their article numbers so you can check them yourself.

Item	What the regulation says	Article
Engine type	Only 4-stroke engines with reciprocating pistons	C5.1.1
Capacity	1600cc (+0/-10cc)	C5.1.2
Layout	Six cylinders in a 90 degree V, circular, all of equal capacity	C5.1.3
Valves	Two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder, operated by camshafts	C5.1.4
Exhaust	Gases exit outboard of the cylinder bore centre line, not from within the V	C5.1.5
Crankshaft	Only three connecting rod bearing journals	C5.1.6
Boost hardware	A maximum of two wastegates and two pop-off valves	C5.1.12
Oil use	Never above 0.30 l/100km in normal operating conditions	C5.1.13
Fuel energy flow	Not above 3000 MJ/h, and never above 550 MJ/h per cylinder	C5.2.3
ERS-K power	Absolute electrical DC power may not exceed 350kW	C5.2.7
Turbo speed	Turbocharger may not exceed 150,000rpm	C5.3.6
Rev limit	May vary by condition, but within a band of 750rpm	C5.14

These are limits, not a shared design: under C18.2.2 a manufacturer uses listed components that it has designed and manufactured itself. For rev-limit detail see How High Do F1 Cars Rev. The next section covers which parts the FIA actually hands out identically.

Which Parts Are Identical and Which Are Not

Appendix C4 of the same document classifies each power unit component, and Article C18 defines the classes. Two matter most for this question.

Class	What Article C18 says	Examples listed in Appendix C4
LPUC (listed components)	Design, manufacture and intellectual property are owned or controlled by a single manufacturer on an exclusive basis (C18.2.1)	Spark plugs, Energy Store, CU-K, DC-DC unit, ICE fluid filters
SSPUC (standard supply)	Designed and made by a supplier appointed by the FIA and supplied on an identical technical and commercial basis to each manufacturer (C18.3.1)	High pressure fuel pump, fuel injectors, knock sensors, Powerbox, Energy Store regulatory DC sensors

Using an SSPUC is mandatory, and its function must not be bypassed, replaced, duplicated or complemented by another component (C18.3.5). For LPUC, a manufacturer must not pass design data or methodology to another manufacturer, or receive any from one (C18.2.3). Beyond the power unit, the regulations define the FIA Standard ECU as an ECU manufactured by an FIA designated supplier to an FIA specification, and they classify the Fuel Flow Meter as a standard supply component (C6.6.2).

So the answer has two halves. The FIA-appointed suppliers provide identical fuel-system and control parts to every manufacturer, while listed components such as the Energy Store, the CU-K and the spark plugs are designed and made by each manufacturer for its own power unit (C18.2.2).

How the 2026 Hybrid Side Differs From the Old Rules

F1.com says the 2026 unit keeps the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 with a few tweaks and deletes the MGU-H. The earlier hybrid units debuted in 2014, and F1.com notes that each manufacturer scored wins in double figures during that era.

Item	Outgoing power unit	2026 power unit
Engine	1.6-litre turbocharged V6	Retained, with a few tweaks
MGU-H	Fitted	Deleted
MGU-K output	120kW	350kW to the rear wheels
Share of power from the electrical system	Around 20 per cent	Goal of around 50 per cent
Fuel	10 per cent ethanol blend (E10) since 2022	Advanced Sustainable Fuels for all teams

F1.com gives the reason for dropping the MGU-H: it was a complicated system and the technology has not been adopted by road car manufacturers. Deleting it makes the unit simpler and, in F1.com’s words, more attractive to manufacturers. The fuel is made from sources such as carbon capture, municipal waste and non-food biomass, and is independently certified. For the fuel story in detail, see What Fuel Do F1 Cars Use?.

When the rules were announced in June 2024, F1.com reported that the power from the engine element would drop from between 550-560kW to 400kW, while overall there would be more power available.

Power Unit Limits Per Driver in 2026

F1.com’s beginner’s guide to power unit penalties lists the allocation for each driver. The figure in brackets is the one-off bonus for the new regulations.

Component	2026 allocation	2027 allocation
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)	3 (+1)	3
Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K)	2 (+1)	2
Turbocharger (TC)	3 (+1)	3
Energy Store (ES)	2 (+1)	2
Control Electronics (CE)	2 (+1)	2
Exhaust (EX)	3 (+1)	3

Going over an allocation costs grid places. According to the same guide, the first time any one element is exceeded a 10-place grid penalty applies, and each later time a five-place drop applies. A driver with a penalty above 15 places starts at the back of the field regardless. The guide also says that a team using a supplier in its first year of supplying power units gets the extra bonus allocation, and that components are sealed so parts cannot be swapped without the FIA knowing.

Can a Manufacturer Catch Up? The ADUO Rule

To encourage close competition, the 2026 regulations let manufacturers update their homologated power units in specific situations. The F1.com ADUO explainer (18 May 2026) describes this mechanism for 2026 to 2030, called Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO). The FIA monitors each manufacturer’s ICE performance in set periods and builds an ICE Performance Index.

• A manufacturer whose ICE is at least 2% but less than 4% behind the best gets one additional homologation upgrade in the current season and one in the following season.
• A manufacturer at least 4% behind gets two additional upgrades in the current season and two in the following one.
• Upgrades are not cumulative within a season, and any upgrade not used in its season is forfeited.
• The FIA admits the index covers the ICE only, so it does not represent full power unit performance, because the energy recovery system also matters.

F1.com quotes FIA Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis describing ADUO as a cost cap relief mechanism rather than a balance of performance tool: a team does not get more fuel flow or less ballast, and a manufacturer still has to build the best engine to win. The same article lists cost allowances from up to USD $3.0 million for a 2-4% deficit, to up to USD $11m per ADUO period for a deficit of 10% or more.

If you are comparing series, see IndyCar vs F1, and for the same question asked of another championship, read Are Formula E Cars All the Same?.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are F1 engines all the same size?

They share the same capacity limit. Article C5.1.2 of the FIA 2026 Technical Regulations (Issue 21) sets engine capacity at 1600cc (+0/-10cc), and C5.1.3 requires six cylinders in a 90 degree V arrangement, all of equal capacity. The limit is common, but each manufacturer designs and builds its own engine inside it.

Can a team build its own F1 engine?

Yes, if it is a power unit manufacturer. F1.com says Red Bull and Ford have a new collaboration powering the two Red Bull teams, and that Audi has a new Audi power unit after taking over Sauber. Cadillac uses Ferrari power in 2026, and F1.com says Cadillac plan to use their own power unit from 2029.

Is the hybrid system the same for all F1 cars?

The rules cap it for everyone, but it is not one shared unit. Article C5.2.7 limits the ERS-K electrical DC power to 350kW, and the Energy Store and CU-K are listed components that each manufacturer designs and makes itself. Some electrical items, such as the regulatory DC sensors on the Energy Store, are standard supply parts.

How many engines can an F1 driver use in a season?

F1.com says that in 2026 a driver may use no more than four ICEs and four turbochargers, three MGU-Ks, three energy stores and three control electronics, and four exhaust sets, because one of each is a one-off bonus for the new regulations. From 2027 the allocation drops to three ICEs, two MGU-Ks and so on, as the table above shows.

How many engine manufacturers are there in 2026?

F1.com counts five power unit manufacturers in 2026: Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull with Ford, Honda and Audi. Mercedes and Ferrari power most of the grid between them.

What This Guide Does Not Cover

• Engine lease prices or the cost of building a power unit.
• Team-by-team performance rankings; they change during a season.
• Seasons other than 2026; check the current FIA regulations for later years.

Sources: FIA 2026 Formula 1 Regulations, Section C (Technical), Issue 21; F1.com 2026 power unit explainer (14 January 2026); F1.com ADUO explainer (18 May 2026); F1.com guide to power unit penalties; F1.com explainer of the 2026 power unit regulations (6 June 2024).