Lewis Hamilton on brink of F1 penalty heading into Bahrain Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton on brink of penalty heading into Bahrain Grand Prix

Right on the brink!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Friday 2 October 2026 09:43

Make us your Google favorite

The 2026 F1 season is very much getting to the business end. How can you tell? Mostly, by looking at drivers' remaining power unit allocations.

We've already seen a few penalties handed out for teams for exceeding their engine allocations, although some mattered less – looking at you, Kimi Antonelli (and the Aston Martins, for the opposite reason) – than others.

The FIA released a detailed rundown of how many power unit components each car on the grid has used thus far in the 2026 season, with some big names right on the very edge.

Article continues under video

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among those, with the former not having a single one of any of the seven power unit components to spare. Since it's inconceivable that he won't need at least one of them refreshed by the end of the year, a penalty will be coming. the only question is when, and where.

F1 HEADLINES: Christian Horner in Ferrari U-turn as Lewis Hamilton reveals fight with bosses

Why is Lewis Hamilton near a grid penalty?

As mentioned, there are seven parts in limited supply: the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), TC (Turbo Charger), EXH (EXHaust set), MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic), ES (Energy Store unit), PU-CE (Power Unit-Control Electronics unit), and PU-ANC (Power Unit ANCillary component).

Teams are allowed four ICE, TC and EXH before taking a penalty, three each of the MGU-K, ES and PU-CE, and six PU-ANC.

Hamilton is right on the limit for every one, while Verstappen is close – but still has a spare PU-ANC in his pocket should he need it at any point.

The most part-hungry team so far this season, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been Aston Martin. Their Honda power unit has been an issue all year, both in terms of performance and reliability.

There are only three drivers who still have a spare ICE coming into Malaysia: Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto and Valtteri Bottas.

Three drivers take engine penalties for Bahrain Grand Prix

Three drivers will take grid penalties at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad all taking new ICE – and the former remarkably taking his seventh of the year.

The ICE is the only component being changed on Hadjar and Colapinto's cars, dropping them both a few places, while Lindblad has also taken a new TC and EXH outside of his allotment – meaning he'll head all the way to the back of the grid.