By Nico King Gile,
Staff Writer.
F1 is a storied championship. From the early days of Jim Clark to the champion Alain Prost, it grew and grew, but eventually times changed and so did it. In 2014 F1 released the most revolutionary car to that point, featuring a hybrid internal combustion and electric engine. Reaching peaks of 1,000 horsepower at an astonishing power-to-weight ratio, these engines are immensely impressive, but still leave fans with gripes. In a few key areas they were lacking, often called too quiet and generally not as interesting to watch as the previous engine type, but people are still hyped.
Part of the intrigue is the competition, but since the introduction of hybrid engines, the cars were not close, as Mercedes and Red Bull Racing (with Honda engines) won nearly all of them. This is an issue—over the course of 11 years, those two teams won every championship and the other constructors won only once: McLaren in 2025. Thankfully two more engine makers are joining with a 2026 model.
The new 2026 model will strip out the MGU-H, a DC power generator attached to the turbo charger and expand the MGU-K, the regenerative braking. The quietness of the 2014 model is because of their MGU-H, which in returning a great deal of energy to the car makes it sound weaker. The ironic part is that the energy taken out of the exhaust sound gives the car more energy. This comes along with an expansion to the battery, all of which are a part of F1’s plan to hit 50% thermal efficiency and achieve net-zero emissions as a sport. Compared to regular cars, which range from 20-30% thermally efficient, this is massive. These cars use far less fuel than ever before to go just as fast.
There was even a local event in SF, showing off the 2011 Red Bull Racing car. There’s a reason they showed off the older, more liked car; it has more renown than the modern ones. Junior Elliot Cresci said “The show run was really cool, being so close to the cars let you experience how powerful they were… it made me want to become more involved in F1 as a whole.”
All in all, there’s a lot to be excited for in F1, and we look forward to seeing the results of the new season, with all toss ups for this new year.
