Technical: Few fresh power unit components at the Hungaroring

Only a few drivers have received fresh power unit components and new gearbox elements for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. F1Technical's senior writer Balázs Szabó analyses the engine situation on the eve of the Budapest F1 race.

The current generation of F1 power units features seven different elements: the internal combustion engine (ICE), motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), turbocharger, energy store (ES), control electronics (CE) and exhaust.

Over the course of the 2023 season, a driver may use no more than four ICEs, MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks and turbochargers.

Alpine's Esteban Ocon has received multiple fresh power unit components for this weekend’s Budapest race in form of a new internal combustion engine, turbocharger, motor generator unit – heat, motor generator unit – kinematic and exhaust system.

Danish driver Kevin Magnussen joined his French rival in having added a new MGU-K into his pool of engine components while Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and AlphaTauri racer Yuki Tsunoda are set to compete with a new exhaust system this weekend.

As far as the gearboxes are concerned, over the course of the 2023 F1 season, drivers have to get around with an allocation of four gearbox cassettes and internals.

For the Hungarian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez and Magnussen have received new gearboxes with the change putting them on the verge of potential sporting penalties as both the Red Bull and the Haas driver have already used three units in the first 11 races of the season.

Drivers can, of course, use their previous gearboxes at any point of the season, and they are even permitted to combine different geabox cassettes with geabox internals, but with 10 races still to complete, Perez and Magnussen face an uphill battle if they want to avoid grid drop penalties later on this year.