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Formula 1 is moving swiftly to address the power unit problems that have plagued the 2026 season, with teams and championship bosses agreeing in principle to fast-track significant hardware changes ahead of 2027.
The proposed overhaul centres on abandoning the current notional 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electrical elements, in favour of a revised ratio closer to 60/40. The shift would increase the contribution from the combustion engine while reducing the demands placed on the battery — a change aimed squarely at one of the most persistent criticisms of the new regulations.
The fundamental issue undermining the 2026 regulations has been well-documented throughout the season. Cars have repeatedly found themselves energy-starved at critical points on circuits, forcing drivers and engineers into a constant compromise between pace and power availability. That compromise has had knock-on effects on driveability, making the cars less intuitive to operate and generating a series of unintended consequences for drivers across the field.
The proposed switch to a 60/40 weighting in favour of the internal combustion engine — achieved through a fuel-flow increase of 50kW — would allow cars to run more aggressively and more consistently. The electrical element, currently rated at 350kW, would be pulled back to 300kW under the plan.
It was during an online meeting held on Friday, involving teams, power unit manufacturers, Formula 1, and the FIA, that consensus was reached to act sooner rather than later. That decision itself is significant: while time constraints are real — modifications to power units for additional robustness, and adjustments to chassis to accommodate larger fuel tanks, all require careful lead time — the assembled parties agreed that waiting until 2028 would be unacceptable.
It's worth noting that this urgency marks a shift in tone. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella had previously targeted 2028 as the realistic window for hardware-level changes to the power unit regulations. The agreement to push implementation forward to 2027 reflects how seriously the paddock is treating the current situation.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the FIA confirmed the direction of travel while making clear that the details are not yet finalised.
"It was agreed that further detailed discussion in technical groups comprising teams and power unit manufacturers was required before the final package was decided," the FIA said.
The proposals will now be evaluated in depth before entering the formal governance process — a route that includes the F1 Commission, the Power Unit Advisory Committee, and ultimately the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.
Beyond the structural 2027 changes, Friday's meeting also reviewed the regulatory modifications introduced at Miami, which adjusted harvesting and deployment levels. The FIA confirmed that evaluation of those changes is ongoing, and the door remains open to further short-term tweaks at upcoming events.
"Evaluation of the Miami package is ongoing with a view to the introduction of further adjustments at future events," the FIA stated.
Among the refinements under consideration are improved start-safety revisions and measures to improve safety under wet conditions — both of which will be communicated to teams once formally defined. Additionally, improvements to visual-signalling measures are being evaluated for the Canadian Grand Prix.
The FIA's willingness to continue iterating on the regulations in the short term, while simultaneously pursuing more fundamental hardware changes for 2027, suggests a governing body that is responding to the breadth of concerns raised across the paddock. The FIA has already demonstrated a readiness to adjust engine regulations mid-cycle in 2026, and this latest development reinforces that flexibility is now a core part of how the sport is managing its most ambitious regulatory era in years.
The next step is detailed technical working group discussions before any changes are locked in through the formal approval process. Whether the 2027 timeline holds will depend on how quickly those groups can reach agreement — but the political will, for now, appears firmly in place.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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