That is represented in the price, as the sporting regulations state the standard fee between a manufacturer and customer team is €15,000,000, making it the most expensive car part.
The price is also why some teams will not produce their own power unit, instead buying one from another constructor or outside engine supplier.
On the 2024 F1 grid, there are four engine suppliers - Ferrari, Honda RBPT, Mercedes and Renault - split amongst the 10 teams in which regulations state that a customer outfit must get the same quality engine as the factory squad.
The number of suppliers should increase in 2026 though with the arrival of Audi and the full-time return of Honda for the start of the new regulations.
In 2026, an F1 power unit will change significantly with a move to fully sustainable fuel and tweaked turbo-hybrids which includes removing the MGU-H and adding a KERS-style ‘override’ boost system.
But, looking at the current grid in 2024, which F1 team uses what power unit?
Power units used by each F1 team
|
2023 constructors’ |
F1 team |
Power unit |
|
1 |
Red Bull |
Honda RBPT |
|
2 |
Mercedes |
Mercedes |
|
3 |
Ferrari |
Ferrari |
|
4 |
Mercedes |
|
|
5 |
Aston Martin |
Mercedes |
|
6 |
Renault |
|
|
7 |
Mercedes |
|
|
8 |
Honda RBPT |
|
|
9 |
Ferrari |
|
|
10 |
Haas |
Ferrari |
Red Bull
-
Powertrain: Honda RBPT
-
Partnership debut: 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 41
Red Bull partnered with Honda for the 2019 season after ending a toxic relationship with Renault. It was unknown how the partnership would fare as Honda had a disastrous stint as McLaren’s power unit supplier from 2015 to 2017, where Fernando Alonso famously called it a “GP2 engine” at the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix.
However, Honda was supplying Red Bull’s sister squad Toro Rosso in 2018 and the engine was competitive, so the main team took it on for the following season. The partnership with Red Bull worked instantly and it eventually led to Max Verstappen winning the 2021 world championship, after Honda fitted major upgrades to make it arguably the strongest power unit on the grid.
Those upgrades were fast-tracked from 2022 though because Honda initially announced it was to quit F1 at the end of 2021. As a result, the Red Bull Powertrain company was created and, because of the new engine freeze, the team took over intellectual property from the Honda engine, while a later agreement saw the Japanese manufacturer provide technical support.
That new partnership is due to end in 2025 after the freeze expires. The engine freeze means Red Bull is unable to develop the power unit because the rule is in place to allow suppliers to shift their focus toward the 2026 regulation changes. From 2026, Red Bull and Ford will start a partnership with the power unit known as ‘Red Bull Ford Powertrains’.
Mercedes
-
Powertrain: Mercedes
-
Partnership debut: 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 116
Mercedes bought 2009 world champions Brawn GP for the 2010 season, meaning the German manufacturer was back on the F1 grid as a team for the first time in 55 years. However, long before its return Mercedes was still involved with the series as an engine supplier, which included giving Brawn its power unit in 2009.
So when the Mercedes team made a comeback, it meant the Silver Arrows would not have to buy a power unit from elsewhere. The Mercedes power unit has also been particularly successful as the team dominated the switch to turbo-hybrid engines in 2014. Its innovative designs like splitting the turbocharger arrangement helped Mercedes to win a record-breaking eight consecutive constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021.
Even though the Mercedes team is no longer dominant, its power unit is still the most popular as it supplies three other squads on the 2024 grid.
Ferrari
-
Powertrain: Ferrari
-
Partnership debut: 1950 British Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 243
Ferrari is the only team to have competed in every F1 season since its inaugural year in 1950 and from the offset, the Scuderia has produced engines from its Maranello base in Italy. Ferrari has often been known to have a good power unit, which has been the catalyst behind many of the Scuderia’s 16 constructors and 15 drivers’ F1 world championships.
In 2023 Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Autosport that “Ferrari is the most powerful engine”, so two other F1 teams have a partnership with the Scuderia for its power unit.
McLaren
-
Powertrain: Mercedes
-
Partnership debut: 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 1
McLaren reignited its previously successful partnership with Mercedes for the 2021 season after the relationship delivered world titles for the British outfit in 1998, 1999 and 2008. When the initial partnership ended in 2014, McLaren started to struggle as its Honda (2015-17) and Renault (2018-20) power units proved underwhelming.
In McLaren’s first year back with a Mercedes engine, it claimed its first victory in nine years with a shock 1-2 at the 2021 Italian GP amid five podiums for the team that season. Since then the Mercedes power unit has been a crucial factor behind McLaren being a competitive outfit, as 2023 saw the team claim nine podiums en route to fourth in the championship. It is therefore no surprise that at the end of the year, McLaren and Mercedes extended their partnership until at least 2030.
Aston Martin
-
Powertrain: Mercedes
-
Partnership debut: 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 0
Mercedes has a long history with the team from Silverstone, which as of 2021 has been named Aston Martin. It started in 2009 when the constructor, then known as Force India, signed Mercedes as its engine supplier, which helped transform the team from a backmarker to leading the midfield.
When Force India went into administration in 2018, the team rebranded as Racing Point while keeping the Mercedes power unit - and forming closer technical ties. However, this caused much controversy and the Silverstone squad was deducted 15 championship points in 2020, as its rear brake ducts drew too much inspiration from the 2019 title-winning W10 - hence Racing Point’s ‘Pink Mercedes’ nickname at the time.
Nevertheless, Mercedes continued to act as the engine supplier in 2021 when the Aston Martin name ended its 61-year absence from F1. After a couple of years towards the back, Aston Martin made a huge step forward in 2023 with eight podiums and fifth in the standings. However, despite the success of its Mercedes engine, Aston Martin will be powered by Honda from the 2026 season to officially confirm the Japanese manufacturer’s full-time return to F1 in the new regulations.
Alpine
-
Powertrain: Renault
-
Partnership debut: 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 1
Alpine is the only constructor to use an engine from its parent brand Renault, who the team was named after from 2002 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. Renault power units have a rich history in F1 as the manufacturer won six championships across the 1990s when supplying Williams and Benetton.
Renault started powering the Enstone team in 1995, when Benetton won its constructors’ championship before Renault took complete charge of the operation for 2002. Renault won the 2005 and 2006 titles with its own engine before powering Red Bull to world championship glory every year from 2010 to 2013.
That relationship soon turned sour though once the Austrian outfit was no longer dominant and the engine’s reliability was questioned. Recent years have seen the stock of a Renault power unit fall dramatically as McLaren was the last customer team to use one in 2020, while the engine lacked around 20-30 bhp to its competitors in 2023 - much to the dismay of Alpine.
Williams
-
Powertrain: Mercedes
-
Partnership debut: 2014 Australian Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 0
Williams and Mercedes are known to have a close partnership, as the German manufacturer has been powering the team for 10 years. In that time, many Mercedes junior drivers have also been loaned to Williams to make their F1 debuts – names like George Russell and Nyck de Vries, with the Briton then moving to the Silver Arrows.
It is a partnership that has worked pretty well for both sides and one of the big strengths of Williams’ current car is its straight-line speed, which may be credited to the engine. However, in those 10 years, Williams’ form has still dropped off with it finishing bottom of the championship on four occasions despite coming third in 2014 and 2015.
Nevertheless, Williams has extended its deal with Mercedes into 2026 which was arguably a no-brainer for the team because it is keeping things stable through a regulation change, while the German manufacturer mastered the last engine switch.
RB
-
Powertrain: Honda RBPT
-
Partnership debut: 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 0
The Faenza squad underwent a rebrand for the 2024 season, as it ditched the AlphaTauri name for RB. It kept the same engine though, as the Honda RBPT partnership started powering AlphaTauri in 2022 after it first used a Honda power unit in 2018 when known as Toro Rosso.
Toro Rosso was effectively used as Red Bull’s test dummy for the Honda engine before using it itself the following year. Since then, Honda has powered both teams to victory as AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly claimed a shock win at the 2020 Italian GP. However, technically the current team has only been powered by Honda RBPT since the 2024 Bahrain GP and it will join its sister squad in using a Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine in 2026.
Sauber
-
Powertrain: Ferrari
-
Partnership debut: 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 0
Sauber is another operation that underwent a rebrand for 2024 meaning, technically, its new team’s first race with the power unit was this year. However, Sauber Motorsport and Ferrari have a long history together as the Italian manufacturer has been powering the squad since 2010 when it was known as BMW Sauber.
In the years since, the Swiss team has been known as Sauber (2011-18) and Alfa Romeo (2019-23) while keeping its Ferrari engine. At times, the partnership has worked well, with four podiums in 2012 for example, but on other occasions, the relationship has been quite fractious as the power unit was a significant factor behind Sauber scoring zero points in 2014.
Ferrari and Sauber still remain in partnership though, with its current deal expiring in 2025 before the Audi era starts in 2026.
Haas
-
Powertrain: Ferrari
-
Partnership debut: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
-
Wins together since current partnership started: 0
Ferrari has powered Haas since its debut at the 2016 Australian GP. The two have since formed a close bond, with the American outfit taking many car parts from the Scuderia and at times running a Ferrari junior in grand prix practice sessions. However, that strategy hasn’t exactly worked with Haas failing to finish above fifth in the championship - achieved in 2018 - while it has come bottom in two of the last three seasons, despite the Ferrari power unit being so strong.
There is no desire to change things though, with Haas likely to use a Ferrari power unit heading into 2026, although that is yet to be officially confirmed.
Which engine has won the most F1 world championships?
|
Engine |
F1 constructors’ world championships |
Year(s) |
|
Ferrari |
16 |
1961, 1964, 1975-77, 1979, 1982-83, 1999-04, 2007-08 |
|
Renault |
12 |
1992-97, 2005-06, 2010-13 |
|
Ford Cosworth |
10 |
1968-74, 1978, 1980-81 |
|
Mercedes |
1998, 2009, 2014-21 |
|
|
Honda |
6 |
1986-91 |
|
Climax |
4 |
1959-60, 1963, 1965 |
|
Repco |
2 |
1966-67 |
|
Porsche |
1984-85 |
|
|
Honda RBPT |
2022-23 |
|
|
Vanwall |
1 |
1958 |
|
BRM |
1962 |
