Is KERS still used in F1? Exploring its uses, how it works, and more

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System or KERS is an essential part of F1's hybrid power system. Introduced in 2009, KERS aims to promote environmentally friendly and road-car-relevant technologies in F1.

The component was widely adopted in 2011 and has ever since been used as a mainstay of hybrid power units.

KERS is part of the Energy Recovery System. It recovers the kinetic energy that is lost as heat when a driver applies the brake. The harnessed energy can be stored in the battery for later deployment. It is fundamentally an energy conversion system used to convert wasted kinetic energy into electrical energy.

KERS in a F1 car (Credit F1)

There are two major types of KERS widely used in automobiles - mechanical and electrical. The mechanical system uses a flywheel as an energy store. Meanwhile, Formula 1 teams have adopted electrical systems which use batteries as reservoirs to store the generated electrical energy.

Under current regulations, MGU-K is at the heart of KERS. Motor Generating Unit-Kinetic is an electric generator that converts the heat produced from braking into electrical energy.

The converted energy is stored in the Energy Store (ES). FIA regulates the energy that can be harvested (2 MJ per lap) and deployed (4 MJ per lap) in a single lap.

When defending or attacking, drivers can use the 'overtake' button for extra energy deployment from the battery. The MGU-K connected to the crankshaft aids the engine by providing extra energy.

MGU-K (highlighted in red) in the Ferrari hybrid power unit

Despite being successfully integrated into one of motorsport's most complex machinery, KERS was not well-received by teams in the early years. In 2009, most teams avoided the system as it added extra weight to the car.

All teams agreed not to use the system the following year, despite remaining legal. Only in 2011 did most of the teams used the recovery system.

As F1 underwent a major regulation change in 2014, ushering in the turbo hybrid era, so did the KERS system. It only became more powerful as its capacity was raised from 60kW (roughly 80bhp) to 120kW (roughly 160bhp). This was done as the new 1.6-litre V6 engine replaced the more powerful 2.4-litre V8 engine.

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What does the future hold for KERS in F1?

KERS is here to stay in F1 for many more years as it continues to be an integral part of the car's power unit. The regulation changes in 2026 will make the MGU-K more powerful as the power output will triple from 120kW to 350kW. This means that the electrical power will be roughly the same as the output from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

The 2026 regulations also state that the MGU-H (Motor Generating Unit - Heat) will no longer be used. MGU-H is unique to F1 cars and isn't part of the production cars. Meanwhile, MGU-K is used in other forms in electric vehicles, which will soon make up the majority of the automobile market.

F1 hopes to continue the research and development of these technologies that trickle down to road cars. The rule change also benefits its goal of reducing its carbon emissions.