Red Bull Racing will debut in 2026 with a brand new power unit that was partly developed in-house and partly in collaboration with Ford. However, the DM01 power source that is located in the back of the cars of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar would have a problem with ‘turbo team‘. But what exactly is that and how did it come about? GPFans explains.
The Formula 1 cars for the coming season have significant engine and aerodynamic performance makeover received. The combustion engine is still a 1.6 liter V6, but the design has become completely different. The electrical power from the battery should provide half of the total power, as it has increased from 120 to 350 kilowatts. The electrical power is generated via the MGU-K, which is mechanically connected to the crankshaft and functions as both a generator and an electric motor. When braking and releasing the accelerator, energy is generated, which is stored in the battery.
MGU-H disappears from Formula 1 power units
From 2014 to 2025, the F1 cars also had an MGU-H. This did not recover electrical energy by being connected to the crankshaft, but it was placed between the compressor and the turbine of the turbo. It used the entropy of the exhaust gases, the heat emitted, to spin the turbine at high speeds while the MGU-K was charging. The energy of the exhaust gases was converted into additional electrical energy. When drawing up the 2026 regulations, the FIA and Formula 1 decided to omit the MGU-H because it was relatively complicated and expensive.
Turbo team back due to MGU-H’s disappearance
With the help of the MGU-H, extra electrical power was not only stored, but as its own electric motor it also solved the problem of turbo team op. Turbo team is the delay between pressing the accelerator and feeling the extra power from the turbo. This happens because the turbine needs time to reach high speeds, but with the MGU-H the turbine continued to spin at high speeds when drivers braked or stepped off the gas. Because the MGU-H is gone, it is turbo team so returned for 2026.
Turbo team possible cause of Hadjar crash
The Formula 1 teams must now find other solutions to reduce the effect of the turbo team to some extent and some racing stables will be better at this than others. The greater the effect of the turbo teamthe less gradually the power is built up when pressing the accelerator pedal. A sudden spike in power makes for an unpredictable car and can lead to minor mistakes or even crashes, like Isack Hadjar’s during the Barcelonashakedown. It is Red Bull Ford that is struggling with one turbo teamproblem, according to various reports from the paddock. The team of Max Verstappen and Hadjar will focus on finding a solution during the winter test in Bahrain and in preparation for the season opener in Australia.
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