F1 team principal drops bombshell over 2027 regulations live on air

James Vowles looks to camera in a Williams collared shirt — Photo: © IMAGO

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 team principal drops bombshell over 2027 regulations live on air

We knew about the power unit changes, but it seems there could be some aerodynamic rule changes too

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 17 July 2026 15:56

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Sky Sports F1 commentators were left shocked when an F1 team principal appeared to confirm some rule changes for the 2027 season which hadn't been reported before.

The 2026 regulations have been hit with some dismay from pundits, fans and drivers alike, with Max Verstappen in particular not happy, describing the new cars as 'not fun' to drive.

The majority of this ire has been linked with the new power units, which have placed a much greater emphasis on electrical energy compared with 2025, and therefore a greater responsibility on drivers to manage their battery capacity.

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But the new aerodynamic rules have not come in for as much stick, with the cars smaller, lighter, and seemingly more able to follow each other around the track.

In 2027, it's been confirmed that the new power units will be changed to have a 58-42 ratio between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the battery, as opposed to the 50-50 split that we currently see in the sport.

This will help ease the concerns of some of the drivers, particularly when it comes to qualifying sessions, and we could well see more radical changes to power units heading into the 2030s.

Now, Williams team principal James Vowles has suggested that aerodynamic rule changes could be coming for 2027, too.

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What is changing in F1 2027?

The planned rule changes on the power unit side of things for 2027 are well known, but Vowles also revealed that the rule changes will be a little more radical, featuring something not previously reported on; aerodynamic changes.

"The rules are actually changing aerodynamically for next year, and they’re fairly significant," Vowles said live to the Sky Sports team during FP1. "There’s changes around the bib, the rear wing, some of the floor area.

"As a result of that, it isn’t really as carry-over as I think everyone would like in that circumstance, but it’s for good reason.

"It wasn’t (expected at the start of this season). I think it’s directionally correct, I agree with what the sport is doing.

"It will help a little bit with creating a better format, a better show frankly, but it goes hand in hand with the PU regulations that we’re doing too.

On live commentary duties in Belgium, David Croft and Karun Chandhok were both surprised to hear this, with Croft admitting that he didn’t think he had heard any of this before.

"I haven’t said anything that I don’t think should be public at this point," Vowles pointed out. "There are elements of us wanting the best product in both qualifying and racing.

"I think everyone would acknowledge that the racing has been great for a lot of it, but we’re not quite there on the perfect product in getting everything extracted from it.

"It’s a mixture of PU regs and aerodynamic regs that will help put the sport in a better place next year."