After the withdrawal of three major manufacturers in a few short weeks in 2009, F1 has been trying to entice more to join the grand prix party.
The idea for the turbo hybrid power units in 2014 was that with road car divisions increasingly turning to hybrids and electric vehicles, but only Honda was enticed enough by the rules, coming in for 2015.
But for 2026, the engine rules are changing once again with beefed-up electrical systems luring Audi in as a works team, Ford as a technical partner to Red Bull’s in-house power unit arm, with Honda also re-committing to a full works programme with Aston Martin.
