Yes, the term ‘power unit’ in reference to Formula 1 racing is pretty much the engine. The reason the term ‘power unit’ is used in place of engine is to capture the hybrid elements, now mandatory as part of racing regulations.   In 2014 Formula 1 entered the hybrid era, introducing modified components that made the cars less reliant on fossil fuels. That meant the use of the word “engine” also needed modification to reflect the changes.  Wrapping your head around this is no small feat. You can get an in-depth breakdown of how a Formula 1 internal combustion engine works by clicking through to our previous blog. Otherwise, we’ll touch on the main elements that get the cars around the tracks as quickly as possible. A Formula 1 power unit isn’t just an engine + battery (that would be too easy), instead, it is comprised of multiple elements including: - The V6 Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) with a 1.6-litre displacement - A turbocharger -  to increase the density of intake air (and help produce heat energy) - A full Energy Recovery System (ERS) - which captures the energy produced by the car while on the track. This uses two Motor Generator Units to function. 1) Heat (MGU-H) - the generator unit that is powered by converting heat from exhaust gases to electricity. 2) Kinetic (MGU-K) - is a combined motor + electric generator that captures heat under braking but also provides power under acceleration via the ICE connection - Energy Store (ES) - essentially a battery that stores the energy captured by the ERS until needed - The Control Electronics (CE) - a network of components that don’t fit into the above list but are required to code and connect it all together. The bulk of this is for the ERS communication between systems; MGU-H, MGU-K and ES. For a Formula 1 car to work, each of these components is crucial. Even if a car is still drivable following an Energy Recovery System component failure, the resulting mechanical issues (including the loss of power and speed, and an increase in fuel consumption) would result in a Did Not Finish (DNF) result.