An agreement in principle has been signed to abandon the 50/50 thermal-electric split for F1 cars in 2027.

The observation has been shared by almost the entire paddock since the start of the 2026 season: the near-equal distribution between thermal and electric power — close to 50/50 — has profoundly altered the nature of driving. F1Qualifying is now contested with omnipresent energy management, with cars slowing down even before braking zones to recover energy, and the speed differences between a car in deployment phase and another in recovery phase have created dangerous situations — Oliver Bearman's accident at Suzuka, involving Franco Colapinto who was not recovering energy in a significant way, remains the most striking image.

Adjustments had already been introduced to the Formula 1 cars in Miami, including an increase in super clipping from 250 kW (335 hp) to 350 kW (469 hp) to allow drivers to recover more energy at full throttle, and a reduction in the amount of energy allowed in qualifying from 8 to 7 MJ. The FIA ​​indicates that these changes produced "Improved competition and represents a step in the right direction"However, this is not enough to solve the underlying problem. Truly significant adjustments require physical modifications to the power units—impossible to implement during the current season, but realistic for 2027.

A rebalancing of 50 kW in each direction

The agreement in principle reached on Friday includes two symmetrical modifications: an increase in the internal combustion engine's power output of approximately 50 kW—achieved through an increase in fuel flow, bringing the thermal output to around 400 kW (536 hp)—and an equivalent reduction of 50 kW in the power output of the energy recovery system, which would decrease from approximately 350 kW to approximately 300 kW (402 hp). The net result would be a power split close to 60/40 in favor of the internal combustion engine, moving away from the current 50/50 split that many drivers and paddock personnel consider problematic.

The underlying idea is twofold: on the one hand, increasing thermal power makes it easier to recover the reduced amount of electrical energy allowed, mechanically reducing super-clipping phases at the end of the straights. On the other hand, decreasing the available electrical power mitigates the impact of energy recovery phases on the car's handling and the speed differences between drivers. The expected result is a more traditional speed curve, more predictable cars, and more intuitive driving.

The increased fuel flow rate potentially implies hardware modifications to the power units—which is precisely why this measure is being considered for the 2027 F1 cars rather than being implemented immediately, to allow manufacturers time to adapt their engines. The chassis will also need slight modifications to accommodate larger fuel tanks.

A process to be finalized

These measures are not official at this stage. The so-called "agreement in principle" still needs to follow the usual governance process: a vote by the power unit manufacturers, followed by ratification by the FIA ​​World Motor Sport Council via electronic voting. The FIA ​​indicates, however, that this agreement was reached "unanimously" at the meeting on Friday, May 8, suggesting that formal validation should not pose a major obstacle.

Further technical discussions within working groups comprised of teams and power unit manufacturers will be necessary before the finalization of the exact package. The FIA ​​also specifies that the evaluation of the adjustments introduced in Miami is ongoing with a view to potential additional modifications for future rounds—including revisions to safety at the start and measures specific to wet conditions, as well as improvements to visual signals planned for the Canadian Grand Prix, from May 22 to 24.

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