Whilst Mercedes have conceded they will support new mega V8 1,200bhp power units for the next era of Formula One power, the FIA is still grappling with the all-new breed of hybrid power units and the farcical racing they are delivering.
Talk about the chicken and the egg: the new power units in their outline specifications were simulated three years ago, and it was found that an all-new aerodynamic approach to the cars would be required to handle the increased power and torque. Hence the birth of the active aero front and rear wings we see on this year’s cars.
The conundrum was that along the straights, the cars’ electric power—a huge increase on the previous hybrid era—would see the cars run out of energy before the next corner. So now we have “low-drag mode” for the straights and “high-downforce mode” for cornering.
New energy management restrictions not implemented in Miami
Having identified the dangerous closing speeds created by cars on full battery deployment arriving upon others who are harvesting energy, the FIA, in collaboration with the teams, has effected new protocols to increase the rate of harvesting and control the rate of deployment.
The new limits were not implemented in Miami, which is said to be an energy-rich circuit given the amount of heavy braking required across a single lap. Yet, even to the casual observer, the cockpit cameras showed in the Sprint and the Grand Prix that it was evident the cars began to decelerate several seconds before the braking zone along the long back straight. They had run out of electrical power.
Reducing the amount of electrical power—if it ever happens in reality—can be compensated for by changing the regulations on the power unit’s hardware for 2027. The internal combustion engine, which at times acts as a generator of electricity while being the sole driver of the axles, can be beefed up.
To do this, the FIA would need to revert to the 2025 levels of fuel flow allowed, up from the current 75kg/h back to 100kg/h. Yet this decision must be made soon, given certain manufacturers are letting it be known that the schedule to introduce such a fundamental change is lengthy.
F1 Powertrain manufacturers resisting change for 2027
Some senior paddock individuals now believe this change will only be possible for 2028, given the intransigence of certain power unit manufacturers. An alternative play, which can be delivered for next season, is that the teams are forced to cut the downforce levels on the current cars.
This would have the effect of reducing the amount of energy deployment required, particularly through the high-speed corners. With less grip, the torque applied from the electrical motors would have to be reduced to prevent drivers from getting a snap of oversteer under acceleration and finishing up in the wall.
When questioned by The Race about why the cars do not have enough electrical energy to run flat out, FIA Head of Single-Seater Matters, Nikolas Tombazis, explained: “One of the reasons it hasn’t been right there from the start is that cars are going a bit faster [than anticipated].” Given the comments of Christian Horner back in 2023 and the Red Bull simulations of the new powertrains, this is not exactly true, but however…
“They [the teams] have found a bit more downforce than we were expecting, and therefore the energy recovered during braking is a bit lower than it would normally be. So we have a bit more of a challenge than we would have liked to have,” Tombazis added.
Aerodynamic changes to slash downforce
Whilst a battle with the manufacturers to change the power unit’s architecture is playing out badly, this approach will achieve a similar result, albeit with the required cooperation from the teams. Of course, there is always the “safety issue” of ever-quicker cars producing ever-more downforce for the FIA to consider in terms of its impact on the Pirelli tyres.
One area to be outlawed is the clever re-introduction of the beam wing philosophy banned for this season by the FIA. Ferrari pioneered this clever loophole, and now eight of the teams have similar components on their cars. This will almost certainly be properly banned for 2027.
The other big downforce-creating areas of the car under consideration will be the front wing, the floor, and the sidepods. A range of options could see up to 50 points of downforce disappear from next year’s cars. As a point of reference, Lewis Hamilton lost 10–15 points of downforce in his lap-one collision with the Alpine of Franco Colapinto, which compromised his race in Miami.
F1 cars can follow more closely
On one radio message from Lewis to the pit wall, he suggested the car was so difficult to drive he wasn’t sure if he could carry on.
One of the key objectives for 2026 was to ensure the cars could follow each other more closely without suffering from the implications of “dirty air” from the aero of the car in front. And whilst the drivers have not been questioned over this, visually it appears the FIA has done a good job in this regard.
Tombazis believes the reduction in “dirty air” from extreme aerodynamic solutions—which increase downforce—has been a success. “We do have an option to reduce the downforce a bit in order to make sure it doesn’t just continue developing over the cycle and so on,” he said.
Top level motorsport must retain racing excitement
“Overall, from an aerodynamic point of view, I think the rules are working quite well, meaning that the following is quite good. You can see that also sometimes with cars quite close to each other, even in grip-limited conditions. So we think that side has worked quite well.”
Whilst the manufacturers are obsessed with raw numbers, including ever-quicker cars, motor racing excitement for the fans is not driven by these metrics. At historic racing events around Europe every year, spectators marvel at battles between Austin A40s, Minis from the 1970s, and other cars which can barely muster 250bhp. Yet the racing is epic and the on-track duels mesmerising.
It is time Formula One got its house in order, recognised the huge mistake in allowing the manufacturers to drive the look of the new era of F1 power, and began serious considerations about bringing these hybrid monsters to an end as swiftly as possible.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
I agree with the author of this piece.
Thankfully BS has announced the return of the V8 engine for 2030 (or 2021 at the latest) … but will the audiences survive the boring fiasco we have in the intervening years?
I know I won’t: I have a feeling there are many others who feel the same – and some of those are likely to be the BEST drivers on the grid!
Actually, only reducing the total electrical power output while keeping the total ICE output (as well as fuel flow rate limit) unchanged would be enough, as this would automatically shift the ratio percentage back towards ICE a bit.
However, manufacturers & teams unsurprisingly are unlikely to vote in favor of any changes to hardware & or architecture after only one season; hence, next season will almost certainly also only feature minimal tweaks, if anything.
The ratified tweaks to energy harvesting mightn’t have been implemented in Miami yet, but they’ll certainly be implemented on all the least energy harvesting-friendly circuits coming up this season, & while clipping occurred towards both the hairpin & T11, it wasn’t anywhere near as excessive as over the first three rounds, nor did it start as far before the approaching corner either.
On the other hand, I’d be perfectly okay with the considered/likely changes to slash total downforce level, even though lap times would inevitably rise compared to this season rather than getting faster as would be the case with totally stable technical regulations via general evolution, but so be it, especially since following would probably otherwise be harder next season compared to this season, as was happened season-by-season throughout the last aero cycle, as well as the preceding one, even with the 2019 & 2021 tweaks.
Active aero should also be gone once battery management & availability over a lap have become non-issues, given the sole purpose of introducing it in the first place, without simply starting to use it solely as an overtaking aid, & therefore, effectively re-introducing DRS, as an OT boost works as an overtaking aid in any case, & for the next cycle, this could be achieved by starting to use Super Formula’s OTS.
I`m right with you… Been a fan forever. I just don’t care anymore. A sad state of affairs. They were warned but pressed on with this horrible formula. Now they’re left scrambling to save face. I`ll be back in 2030 to see if they’ve finally come to their senses….