The political stalemate over Formula 1's power units has finally cracked. The FIA, F1 and the engine manufacturers have signed off on a phased rewrite of the rules that walks the 2027 and 2028 cars back from the divisive 50-50 balance between combustion and electrical power.
Crucially, the shift arrives in stages rather than all at once. The combustion-to-electric ratio is set to move from 53/47 in 2026 to 58/42 in 2027, then 60/40 in 2028. Over the same stretch the internal combustion engine's output rises from 400kW to 420kW and then 450kW on the back of extra fuel flow, while the MGU-K's deployment drops from 350kW to 300kW, albeit with a 350kW "overtake" mode kept in reserve. The governing body called the plan "a staged rebalancing of Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons," and it will be put to the World Motor Sport Council in Macau on June 23.
Max Verstappen, the man whose exit threats hung over the entire debate, greeted the outcome with measured approval rather than celebration.
"It's definitely heading into a very positive direction. I think it's the minimum I was hoping for," Verstappen said. "I just want a good product in Formula 1, and that will for sure improve the product."
He was far from alone in his grievances. Fernando Alonso had mockingly branded the 2026 formula a "battery world championship," arguing drivers were nursing their energy rather than attacking. The revised figures are meant to cure precisely that, giving the cars more to lean on through the corners and down the straights.
For the FIA, the deal is evidence the sport can correct course on its own. "Formula 1 has always evolved to meet new challenges and seize new opportunities," president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. "These proposed changes reflect the collaborative work taking place across the sport to ensure the regulations continue to support exciting racing, technological innovation and long-term sustainability."
Others are bracing for the haggling still to come. McLaren chief Zak Brown backed the appetite for change but cautioned that the hardest negotiations lie ahead. "I think there's a good consensus that changes still need to happen," he said. "I'm encouraged that there will be, but then everyone's going to arm wrestle over specifically what those are." He urged rivals to look past their own interests: "People need to park their personal agendas, what they think might make it more competitive or less competitive, and all collaborate."
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies, who runs Verstappen's team, wanted the matter closed for good rather than relitigated season after season. "I think we should fix it once and for all and not have this as a recurring topic," he said.
Because the manufacturers are already committed to their 2026 hardware, none of this alters the current title race, where Kimi Antonelli holds a commanding lead. Yet after a winter dominated by Verstappen's threats to walk and Alonso's withering verdicts, simply settling on a direction feels like a meaningful step.
