Gary Anderson: F1's 2026 Engine Math Still Doesn't Add Up

Gary Anderson, a respected F1 technical analyst and former engineer, has dismantled the logic behind the 2026 power unit regulations, claiming the math simply doesn't work. He argues that the promised 50/50 hybrid power split is unattainable with the current MGU-K and battery specs, and that the FIA's proposed 2027 tweaks are far too modest to fix the problem.

Why it matters:

The 2026 rules were designed to deliver powerful, efficient engines while maintaining close racing. But if Anderson's calculations hold, drivers will face massive 'lift and coast' sections and 'super clipping' — a sudden loss of electrical power — on most circuits. That would compromise the spectacle and force teams into energy-saving strategies, not flat-out racing.

The details:

• The target: 370kW from the internal combustion engine (ICE) plus 350kW from the MGU-K gives a theoretical 720kW (965bhp). But the 4MJ battery can only supply full 350kW for roughly 11.5 seconds.
• The lap demand: On a generic 100-second circuit, the driver wants full power for ~60 seconds. Hard braking offers ~20 seconds of potential regeneration. Even assuming 100% efficiency, that only harvests enough energy to charge the battery once — not the 5.2 times needed to sustain 60 seconds of electrical power.
• The brutal math: To balance the energy equation, the MGU-K's output must be slashed to roughly 70kW. That gives a total power of just 440kW (590bhp) — far below the advertised 700kW (940bhp).
• The FIA's 2027 fix: Last Friday's announcement proposed increasing ICE power by ~50kW and reducing ERS deployment by ~50kW. Anderson calls this "nowhere near enough" to eliminate lift-and-coast or super clipping. He insists the real solution requires a data-driven 'theoretical circuit' based on actual 2021 telemetry.

What's next:

The FIA has agreed to further technical discussions with teams and power unit manufacturers. But Anderson warns the problem is structural. Without a fundamental reset of the power split or battery capacity, the 2026 engines could force drivers to manage energy rather than race — a bitter pill for a sport that prides itself on pushing the limit.