Qatar GP – official table of power unit components used per driver: only changes with penalties
Today at 07:53 AM
With only two Grands Prix remaining in this long Championship, teams have nearly exhausted the parts allowed under the regulations and must decide whether the benefit of a new engine justifies the inevitable grid penalty.
In Qatar, teams are expected to mainly rely on the rotation of already-used components to avoid penalties. However, the circuit demands full engine power for several sections, and after 22 races (plus sprints), reliability issues could arise, potentially leading to significant point losses in the highly contested Constructors' Championship. Beyond the battle for first place, several positions—worth millions of dollars—are also at stake.
The reliability of the cars has always been a critical factor in securing World Championship titles, even more so since regulations introduced limits on the number of components that can be replaced on a car. This primarily affects parts related to the power unit and the gearbox and transmission system.
Under the 2024 regulations, a driver cannot use more than:
– 4 Internal Combustion Engines (ICE), MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks, and Turbochargers (TC),
– 2 Energy Stores (ES) and Control Electronics (CE),
– 8 exhaust systems.
For all drivers, the situation is clear: replacing any power unit component (except exhausts) will result in a grid penalty. In fact, only Fernando Alonso can still use new batteries and a control unit without incurring a penalty.
Updated Table of Components Used by Each Driver in 2024
*(after the Las Vegas GP and based on the FIA document dated 29-11)*
| N. | Scuderia | Pilota | ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | CE | EX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Red Bull | Max Verstappen | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 11 | Red Bull | Sergio Perez | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 44 | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 55 | Ferrari | Carlos Sainz | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 81 | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 04 | McLaren | Lando Norris | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 31 | Alpine | Esteban Ocon | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 10 | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 23 | Williams | Alexander Albon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 02 | Williams | Franco Colapinto | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 21 | RBR | Liam Lawson | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 22 | RBR | Yuki Tsunoda | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 77 | Sauber Ferrari | Valtteri Bottas | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 24 | Sauber Ferrari | Zhou Guanyu | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| 20 | Haas | Kevin Magnussen | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 27 | Haas | Nico Hulkenberg | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
The miniaturization of certain components to reduce bulk for aerodynamic purposes has made parts like the gearbox and transmission more fragile. However, what has had an even greater impact are the accidents. For example, on the Williams cars of Lawson and Albon, due to incidents in previous Grands Prix, all available parts have already been used, and they may not have additional spares.
| N. | Team | Driver | Gearbox | Transmission and auxiliaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Red Bull | Max Verstappen | 4 | 5 |
| 11 | Red Bull | Sergio Perez | 3 | 5 |
| 63 | Mercedes | George Russell | 3 | 3 |
| 44 | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | 5 | 5 |
| 55 | Ferrari | Carlos Sainz | 6 | 6 |
| 81 | McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 4 | 5 |
| 04 | McLaren | Lando Norris | 4 | 4 |
| 18 | Aston Martin | Lance Stroll | 4 | 4 |
| 14 | Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | 4 | 4 |
| 31 | Alpine | Esteban Ocon | 4 | 4 |
| 10 | Alpine | Pierre Gasly | 5 | 5 |
| 23 | Williams | Alexander Albon | 5 | 5 |
| 02 | Williams | Franco Colapinto | 6 | 6 |
| 21 | RBR | Liam Lawson | 5 | 5 |
| 22 | RBR | Yuki Tsunoda | 5 | 5 |
| 77 | Sauber | Valtteri Bottas | 5 | 5 |
| 24 | Sauber | Zhou Guanyu | 5 | 5 |
| 20 | Haas | Kevin Magnussen | 5 | 5 |
| 27 | Haas | Nico Hulkenberg | 5 | 5 |
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