FIA has confirmed that significant changes will be made to Formula 1 power units from the 2027 season following growing concerns raised by drivers over the current regulations.
The announcement came after an online meeting involving Formula 1 team principals, Formula One Management, and representatives from all five power unit manufacturers: Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Red Bull Powertrains, Audi, and Honda.
An agreement was reached in principle on several proposals aimed at improving racing, safety and overall drivability.
The discussions follow recent regulation tweaks introduced during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. Those changes were designed mainly to improve safety and make qualifying sessions more aggressive and flat-out again.
While drivers reacted positively to the Miami adjustments, many still felt the sport had not gone far enough.
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Since the beginning of the season, several drivers had voiced concerns about excessive energy harvesting and the overall driving experience under the current power unit direction.
The FIA admitted that more changes are now needed.
Via an official statement, the governing body confirmed further modifications would arrive before the 2027 campaign.
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“The conclusion from the deployment of modifications in Miami, designed to improve safety and reduce excessive harvesting, was that they resulted in improved competition and were a step in the right direction,” the FIA said.
“Following analysis and consultation, the FIA reported that no material issues or safety concerns had been identified from Miami.”
The governing body also confirmed that evaluation of the Miami package is still ongoing.
“These include improved start-safety revisions and measures to improve safety under wet conditions. These will be communicated to teams once defined. Improvements to the visual-signalling measures are being evaluated for the Canadian Grand Prix.”
What changes are coming to F1 engines?
The biggest talking point from the meeting involved planned changes to the balance between internal combustion power and electrical deployment.
According to the FIA statement:
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“The measures agreed in principle today for 2027 would see a nominal increase in Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) power by ~50kW with a fuel-flow increase and a nominal reduction of the Energy Recovery System (ERS) deployment power by ~50kW.”
In simple terms, Formula 1 cars are expected to rely slightly more on traditional engine power again, while reducing dependence on electrical energy deployment.
That shift comes after criticism from drivers who believed the current direction was hurting wheel-to-wheel racing and making cars behave unpredictably during races.
The FIA also stressed that discussions are still ongoing before final approval is given.
“It was agreed that further detailed discussion in technical groups comprising teams and Power Unit Manufacturers was required before the final package was decided.”
FIA says drivers played key role
The FIA made it clear that driver feedback played an important role in shaping the proposed changes.
“The final proposals presented during today’s meeting are the result of a series of consultations over the past few weeks between the FIA and multi-stakeholders, with invaluable input from F1 drivers.”
The proposed regulation updates will now move toward a formal World Motor Sport Council e-vote once manufacturers approve the final package.
For now, Formula 1 appears set for another major engine philosophy shift just one year after the arrival of the new-generation regulations in 2026.
And after months of complaints from drivers, the FIA has finally acknowledged that bigger changes were unavoidable.
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