FIA announces groundbreaking F1 engine changes in major U-turn

F1, the FIA, the teams and the sport's power unit manufacturers have confirmed an agreement has been reached regarding massive engine regulation changes.

At the start of this year's campaign, F1 welcomed completely overhauled chassis and power unit regulations in a move towards a near 50/50 split between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the electrical hybrid system.

The electric motor tripled its output to 350 kW and the MGU-H was removed altogether in a bid to promote more overtaking, a reduction of drag and a move towards F1's goal of being Net Zero by 2030.

The introduction of more sustainable F1 engines attracted the likes of PU manufacturers Audi and Honda, but just six races into the new regulations era, F1's governing body have already confirmed a U-turn on their engine stance.

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FIA confirm F1 regulation changes from 2027

The new regulations weren't introduced without controversy, with four-time champion Max Verstappen publicly sharing his dislike of the sport's new machinery on multiple occasions.

The Red Bull star likened F1 to 'Formula E on steroids' and took issue in particular with the forced energy management, claiming the new cars were 'anti-racing' thanks to the excessive use of lifting and coasting required.

Ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix however, a move away from the 2026 engine split has been confirmed for 2027 with a goal of reaching 60/40 for 2028.

A statement from the FIA read: "The proposed changes are intended to address issues related to energy management and fuel energy flow characteristics and make qualifying more flat-out while not impacting the positive and exciting racing generated by the new regulations.

"The package introduces a staged rebalancing of Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons. It includes targeted adjustments to internal combustion engine output, fuel energy flow and energy recovery system deployment, together with increased flexibility in energy management."

Supporting measures relating to power unit supply conditions, race operations and financial regulations have also been included in the package of changes, of which the details have not been shared publicly.

The FIA will now go through the formal approval process to provide all parties with early clarity and sufficient time to adapt to the revised requirements, with the suggested changes set to be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council for approval on June 23 in Macau.

The below table highlights the FIA's engine change roadmap.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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