Formula 1's controversial 2026 engines are getting rebalanced. The FIA's World Motor Sport Council has ratified a set of changes that will hand more power back to the combustion engine from 2027 and again in 2028, walking back some of the electrical emphasis drivers have complained about all season.
The technical shift is straightforward. In 2027 the split between combustion and electric power moves to 58/42, with the internal combustion engine rising from 400kW to 420kW on a five percent fuel-flow increase, while the electric motor's normal output drops from 350kW to 300kW. In 2028 it goes further, to a 60/40 balance and roughly 450kW from the combustion side. The overtake boost stays at 350kW so drivers keep a passing tool, and the maximum energy the car can harvest actually rises.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem framed it as housekeeping rather than a U-turn. "The FIA continues to oversee the evolution of the 2026 Regulations and work closely with all key stakeholders across the motorsport community," he said, adding that "continuous dialogue and collaboration are essential to ensuring that the regulations meet the needs of the sport, its drivers, and its fans."
The governing body's stated aim is to "address issues related to energy management and fuel energy flow characteristics and make qualifying more flat-out" without spoiling the racing.
For Max Verstappen — who spent much of the year warning about the direction of the sport — it lands as a win. "It's definitely heading in a very positive direction. It's the minimum I was hoping for, and it's really nice that that's what they want to do," Verstappen said. He tied it directly to his own enthusiasm: "I just want a good product in Formula One, and that will for sure improve the product. Naturally I think then the enjoyment will go up as well."
Oscar Piastri agreed the drivers had been heard. "I think they're a step in the right direction," he said. "The further step in 2028 is even more of a step in the right direction. Our feedback as drivers has been taken on board, which has been good."
Not everyone is convinced it fixes the underlying problem. Fernando Alonso, who has derided the 2026 formula as a "battery world championship," argued the concept was flawed from the start. "The DNA of these power units will always be the same, and it will always reward going slow in the corners," Alonso said. He mourned the bigger picture too: "We lost a little bit of nearly one decade or even more of pure racing."
Carlos Sainz wants the sport to go further still, calling for "real" engines where drivers can go flat out "without constantly worrying about battery usage and energy saving." Liam Lawson echoed that the cars still need to feel aggressive and sound like a traditional F1 car again.
Alongside the engine tweaks, the FIA confirmed pre-season testing will grow from three days to four "owing to the general complexity" of the cars, reconnaissance laps will be limited at circuits such as Monza, and races can be shortened by a lap or two if needed. Boost mode will be partly restored in wet conditions for the rest of 2026 on safety grounds, filling in power as cars slow on the straights without adding outright pace.
---
*Originally published on [NewsFormula One](https://newsformula.one/article/f1-locks-in-2027-engine-reset-as-drivers-split-on-the-fix). Visit for full coverage.*