where are the F1 drivers in Abu Dhabi?
Engine regulations in Formula 1 require each driver to use a certain number of elements over a whole season. Beyond that, the drivers are automatically penalized on the grid for each new part that exceeds the quota.
To begin with, a power unit in F1 is made up of seven different elements:
- Internal combustion engine (ICE)
- Turbocharger (TC)
- MGU-H (which recovers the energy generated by heat)
- MGU-K (which recovers the energy generated by braking)
- Battery (ES)
- Electronic control unit (CE)
- Exhaust system (EX).
A limited number of copies of each of these seven elements may be used in the year by each pilot. Article 23.2 a) of the F1 Sporting Regulations provides that « any pilot may not use more than 3 engines (ICE), 3 MGU-H, 3 turbochargers (TC), 2 batteries (ES), 2 electronic control units (CE), 3 MGU-K and 8 exhaust systems during a championship « .
As for the penalties, here is how they are determined, under the aegis of article 23.2 b) of the same regulations:
- The first time an additional element (i.e. out of quota) is used, a penalty of 10 grid places is imposed.
- The next time, if an additional element of the same type is used, a penalty of 5 grid places is imposed.
- The penalties are cumulative, that is to say that if several elements are changed at once, the penalties are added.
- However, from the moment the total exceeds 15 places, the driver concerned is automatically sent back to the back of the grid. If several drivers are in this case, they are classified at the back of the grid according to their classification during qualifying.
- Finally, to prevent the same driver from « stocking » new parts by accumulating penalties during the same Grand Prix, only the last copy fitted for each element can be used during the following GPs without penalty. The others will incur penalties as soon as they are used by applying the same logic. There is therefore no practical advantage in changing the same element several times during a race.
Now that the basics have been laid, so that you can find your way around the 2021 season, we suggest you take stock of the situation using the following tables. The first takes stock of the situation after leaving the Saudi Arabian GP and the second indicates the changes for the current GP:
The state of play before the Abu Dhabi GP
The red boxes indicate the parts for which the quota is exceeded.
|
ICE Quota = 3 |
TC Quota = 3 |
MGU-H Quota = 3 |
MGU-K Quota = 3 |
ES Quota = 2 |
THIS Quota = 2 |
EX Quota = 8 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Bottas | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Verstappen | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Perez | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Ricciardo | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Norris | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Stroll | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Vettel | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Alonso | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Ocon | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Leclerc | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Sainz | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Tsunoda | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Gasly | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Raikkonen | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Giovinazzi | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Mazepin | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Schumacher | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Russell | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Latifi | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
New parts installed during the Abu Dhabi GP
None at the moment.
| ICE | TC | MGU-H | MGU-K | ES | THIS | EX | Penalty expected |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | ? |
