F1 agrees plan to ditch '50/50' engine power split for 2027
Formula 1 teams and championship bosses have agreed in principle to fast-track hardware changes to the power units for 2027 in a bid to resolve problems with the current rules.
The idea is to ditch the notional 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electrical elements and move to a ration that is much closer to 60/40.
The hope is that the increased power from the engine, and reduced demands on the battery, will allow the cars to run more flat-out and not be so energy-starved in certain places.
A key improvement too will be in making the cars more intuitive for the drivers, with the compromises resulting from a lack of battery power having triggered some unintended consequences and complications throughout the season so far.
During an online meeting on Friday involving teams, power unit manufacturers, F1 and the FIA, it was agreed that hardware changes should be pushed through for next year.
While time was tight to get these agreed for 2027, because of extra work required on power units to make them more robust plus tweaks to chassis to increase the size of the fuel tanks, consensus was reached to act now rather than wait until 2028.
In a statement issued by the FIA after the meeting, it said that the aim was to increase the power of the internal combustion element by 50kW through a fuel-flow increase, with the electrical element being pulled back from 350kW to 300kW.
The FIA added: "It was agreed that further detailed discussion in technical groups comprising teams and power unit manufacturers was required before the final package was decided."
As well as the 2027 changes, the meeting reviewed the modifications made to the regulations for Miami that adjusted harvesting and deployment levels.
The door remains open on further tweaks in the short term.
The FIA said: "Evaluation of the Miami package is ongoing with a view to the introduction of further adjustments at future events.
"These include improved start-safety revisions and measures to improve safety under wet conditions. These will be communicated to teams once defined. Improvements to the visual-signalling measures are being evaluated for the Canadian Grand Prix."
The proposals to move away from the 50/50 split will now be evaluated in detail before going through the formal governance process, which includes the F1 Commission, the Power Unit Advisory Committee and then the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.
