Formula 1’s governing body has blinked. In a definitive bid to silence fierce driver backlash and bypass a looming paddock civil war, the FIA has officially agreed to phase in its highly anticipated engine regulation changes over two seasons.
The solution is a distinct fudge of the proposed 60/40 split in favour of the combustion engine over the hybrid system for 2027. Nine months prior to the new 2026 engines firing up in anger, the FIA had proposed a change from the current 50/50 split, but certain manufacturers refused to play ball.
Before the end of the opening race weekend in Melbourne, it was evident to everyone—including the drivers—that the aggressive push by Audi and Honda, in particular, for a 50/50 hybrid engine split was a complete disaster.
The heavily criticised 2026 F1 engines have fundamentally compromised how an F1 car must be driven. Instead of hunting for the absolute limits of grip through fast corners, drivers are trapped in a counter-intuitive cycle of lift-and-coast energy management. The phenomenon is most painful during qualifying, where drivers are forced to drive to artificial, predetermined speeds purely to avoid draining the battery before reaching the straights.
The current regulations have drawn savage reviews from the grid’s top stars. Max Verstappen famously blasted the cars as “anti-racing” and “Formula E on steroids,” while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc memorably likened the software-heavy racing style to Mario Kart. Verstappen even issued a blunt ultimatum, threatening to walk away from the sport entirely if drastic changes were not made by next season.
The Miami Stopgap vs. The 2027 Overhaul
Prior to the Miami Grand Prix, the FIA managed to find an agreement to tweak this year’s current electrical regulations. These emergency measures included lowering the amount of charge cars can harvest at certain energy-barren circuits, along with reducing total energy deployment in specific zones at each track.
The immediate intention was to enable drivers to push closer to flat out during qualifying, prevent sudden, dramatic drops in speed along the straights, and reduce dangerous closing speeds when one car was deploying maximum power and another was aggressively harvesting.
For 2027, the FIA had again proposed a structural move to a 60/40 split in engine power, but once again Audi proved intransigent, claiming they would rather spend their cost cap budget elsewhere. The shifting regulations would require a comprehensive redesign of the power units’ fuel flow architecture, an increase in the maximum fuel flow rate allowance, and slightly larger fuel cells.
To push these emergency changes over the line, the FIA had to abandon its original plan for a single-year overhaul. Ferrari also dissented on the immediate 60/40 proposal for 2027, forcing the FIA to compromise and transition to the target architecture over a two-year period.
[The Staged Engine Power Realignment]
2026 Baseline ───> 53/47 Split (ICE vs. Hybrid)
2027 Phase 1 ───> 58/42 Split (+5% Fuel Flow Bump)
2028 Phase 2 ───> 60/40 Split (+13% Fuel Flow Target)
The grid will now transition to a 58-42 split in 2027, before finally achieving the ultimate 60-40 target in 2028.
The FIA’s Official Stance: “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.”
While overall engine output on paper will technically drop slightly next year, the combination of a 5% fuel flow bump and enhanced harvesting limits means the battery will rarely run completely flat. The cars will spend significantly less time recharging and more time deploying. F1’s full () threshold will be entirely restored by 2028.
Corporate Financial Wins for Maranello and Ingolstadt
This gradual, two-step approach is a massive win for manufacturer bank accounts. By avoiding a sudden 13% fuel flow spike in a single year, teams can avoid radical, expensive hardware overhauls. This allows the FIA to keep the strict engine development ban and the cost cap completely intact—appeasing both Maranello and Ingolstadt.
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Ferrari’s Relief: The Scuderia vehemently opposed an overnight 13% fuel flow hike for 2027. Such a massive leap would force open the development regulations for everyone, entirely neutralising the exclusive performance upgrade concessions Ferrari fought for and won during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend to close their deficit to Mercedes.
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Audi’s Cost Cap Win: Audi’s objections were purely financial. As a new entrant operating under a tight cost cap, the German giant was desperate to avoid diverting precious engineering resources toward completely retooling their motor layout before they had even established a competitive baseline on the grid.
While the FIA possessed the governance framework to force a 4-of-6 manufacturer supermajority, the governing body desperately preferred a unanimous agreement to prevent a toxic, public airing of grievances ahead of this weekend’s race in Barcelona.
The Verstappen Dilemma: Is a Half-Measure Enough?
While the corporate executives are celebrating a financial truce, the compromise faces an immediate roadblock: Max Verstappen.
The former world champion’s relentless criticism is the single biggest reason these rule changes stayed on the agenda. However, the three-time champion has set an incredibly high bar for what it will take to keep him on the grid. During the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen explicitly stated that having the full slate of engine fixes applied immediately in 2027 was the absolute “minimum” required for him to commit his long-term future to the sport.
In a previous interview with De Telegraaf, Verstappen gave a cautious nod to the initial ideas:
“It is not quite top-notch yet, but it is a step in the right direction. And certainly an improvement compared to the current situation.”
Whether this diluted, phased-in half-measure will genuinely placate the disgruntled Dutchman—or if it will prompt him to take his retirement threats seriously—will be the absolute biggest talking point as the drivers take to the microphone ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
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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.
Max is a 4 time champion, not 3.