With the FIA World Motor Sport Council approving the all-new power unit regulations set to come into effect at the start of the 2026 season, the latest instalment of F1’s Tech Talk takes a look at the road to get to this point, with a brief history lesson on engine development in the sport.
Tech Talk presenter Sam Collins talks us through the complex journey from the 1947 engine regulations to the rules now in place for 2026. We look at how the first set of changes came in 1954, which made the engines smaller as the sport enhanced its reputation as a leader in technology.
We also learn how a lone appearance from Bugatti in 1956 caused a substantial number of changes in the sport, and how Ford and Renault’s revolutionary ideas produced opposing outcomes for the manufacturers.
WATCH: Everything you need to know about the 2026 engine regulations
We also go back to the beginning of the turbocharged era, see how Honda became the dominant manufacturer in the sport in the 1980s, the events that caused engine power to be reduced in 1995 and the introduction of the hybrid engine – first used in 2009 – and how they evolved to become the most efficient power units on Earth in 2014.
Click on the video player above to get a brief history lesson in the evolution of Formula 1 engines.
