The key players in Formula One have come to an agreement to settle the proposed changes to the sport’s engines for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. These have been seen as crucial in addressing widespread driver dissatisfaction with the current formula, not least for the four-time champion Max Verstappen who has repeatedly threatened to leave the sport owing to how unhappy he is with the current engine rules.
Verstappen has been particularly outspoken, declaring the rules “anti-racing”, but he has been far from alone. The FIA, teams, engine manufacturers and F1’s owners have since been in discussions looking at ways to address the issue. Notably their resolution does not reach the minimum scale of improvement Verstappen believed was needed until 2028.
The intent of the changes is to address the level of energy management drivers undertake on each lap, with the current engines at a 53-47 split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and electrical energy. At times this has led to counterintuitive driving, a focus on energy management – recharging and harvesting – rather than driving flat out and the yo-yoing of positions that has left many drivers frustrated, as well as safety concerns because of closing speeds.
In May a proposal to change the power split to 60-40 in favour of the combustion engine was agreed in principal but had not been formally accepted. Since then it has hung in the balance with, it is believed, Audi and Ferrari objecting to it being implemented as soon as next year.
Increasing the rate of fuel flow to the combustion engine was required, with a potential knock-on effect in chassis design to allow for a larger fuel tank and the reworking of what are enormously expensive powerunits. Talks have been going on ever since to address these concerns and a compromise has been agreed to implement the changes incrementally. The power delivery split will now be set at 58-42 for 2027 with a 5% fuel flow increase, delivering an increase in the maximum output of the ICE from 400kW to 420kW. Then in 2028 it will be 60-40, with a 13% fuel flow increase and maximum output for the ICE of 450kW.
How this will be greeted remains to be seen. Verstappen has said a 60-40 split would be the “bare minimum” he felt would be acceptable and these changes do not reach that threshold for 2027, but are close. He will be able to express his verdict on Thursday, when speaking before this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The hope is the result will address the issues without requiring major hardware changes to the powerunits, which manufacturers such as Audi have spent huge sums developing. The incremental change of just a 5% increase in fuel flow for 2027 appears to be a compromise acceptable to all the manufacturers.
It is understood for any changes to be implemented in time for next season they have to be formally agreed before the end of June. The FIA noted that it would “now expedite the formal approval process to provide all parties with early clarity and sufficient time to adapt to the revised requirements”. The proposals are still subject to approval by the world motorsport council at its next meeting in Macau on 23 June.
