F1 AGREES ENGINE RULE CHANGES FOR 2027 AND 2028 SEASONS

Formula One's key stakeholders have reached an agreement on engine rule changes for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The changes target the level of energy management drivers are required to perform on each lap. Under the revised framework, the power delivery split will move to 58-42 in favour of the internal combustion engine in 2027, accompanied by a 5% fuel flow increase and a rise in maximum ICE output from 400kW to 420kW. In 2028, the split will shift further to 60-40, with a 13% fuel flow increase pushing maximum ICE output to 450kW.

The current engine formula operates on a 53-47 split between the internal combustion engine and electrical energy. Drivers including four-time champion Max Verstappen have criticised the rules, with Verstappen describing them as "anti-racing" and repeatedly threatening to leave the sport. The FIA, teams, engine manufacturers and F1's owners have been in discussions to address the issue since those complaints emerged. A proposal to move to a 60-40 split had been agreed in principle in May but stalled, with Audi and Ferrari believed to have objected to implementation as early as next year.

The incremental approach addresses concerns over chassis design, fuel tank sizing, and the reworking of expensive power units that a more immediate change would have required. Verstappen had indicated the minimum scale of improvement he considered necessary would not be reached until 2028, a threshold the agreed timeline does not meet until that year. The current formula has drawn safety concerns alongside driver frustration, owing to closing speeds caused by the yo-yoing of positions during energy harvesting phases.