How does a 2026 F1 car work? Ted Kravitz demonstrates, using a power drill

Ted Kravitz commentates on pitlane action — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

How does a 2026 F1 car work? Ted Kravitz demonstrates, using a power drill

Day two of testing and Ted Kravitz already has the power tools out

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 28 January 2026 16:58

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Ted Kravitz has returned in spectacular fashion for the 2026 F1 season and his Barcelona shakedown show - which, yes, included a demonstration with a power drill.

In 2026, the F1 grid will race in brand new cars, which will include new features such as active aerodynamics, overtake mode and increased electrical power.

The 2026 power units will also change and remove the MGU-H, with a new MGU-K featuring which is nearly three times as powerful as its predecessor, delivering 350kW to the rear wheels. It will also recover energy at a greatly increased rate, when the car is braking, coasting and on throttle.

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The new MGU-K was a topic of discussion on Tuesday's Barcelona testing show, where Kravitz was joined alongside fellow pundit Karun Chandhok in the Sky Sports studio.

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Kravitz: Let there be light

Kravitz then began to demonstrate how an F1 engine works, and said: "It's a bit of time for show and tell. So, I've brought our own little motor generator unit.

"It's a dynamo you used to run off your bike...Let's demonstrate how this actually generates electricity."

Then, in true Kravitz fashion, he attached the motor generator, that was also linked to a headlight, to a power drill that was 'borrowed from his father-in-law'.

"The drill is the engine. So the engine runs through a series of gears on and off to the MGU-K," he explained.

Kravitz then used the power drill to generate light, and said: "So the MGU-K takes quite a lot to generate electricity, doesn't it?

"That charges the battery and there you go!"

F1 2026 regulations Ted Kravitz