F1 could make huge change to 2026 engine rules - report

04/20/2025 03:30 AM

F1 could introduce a major change to the new power unit regulations that are set to come into play next year. The fresh cycle of engine rules was confirmed several years ago, but there is believed to be unrest over how the new power units could negatively impact racing next year. A major concern that has seemingly been raised relates to the harvesting of electrical energy and the battery deployment not being as substantial as originally hoped. F1 is set to move to a 50/50 split between combustion engine and electrical power next year, a 300% increase from the current battery impact. At circuits such as Monza or Baku which feature long periods at high-speed, there are worries that drivers could run out of energy halfway down the straights. According to The Race , a proposal is set to be raised at the F1 Commission meeting next week to introduce a significant change. The suggested alteration would see the 50/50 power split between combustion and battery power remain for qualifying, before the latter's impact is reduced for the race. The report states the 350kW deployment from the battery would reduce to 200kW for the grand prix, creating a 64/36 split in favour of the combustion engine while having a more consistent power output throughout the lap. However, the new manual override engine mode, which has been introduced as a tool to aid overtaking, would remain at the 350kW mark when activated by the driver. The proposed change has been met with support by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner as Red Bull prepares to debut its first-ever in-house engine next year. "What we desperately want to avoid is a situation where drivers are lifting and coasting from halfway down the straight," Horner told The Race . "That will frustrate the drivers. It will be bad for the spectacle of out and out racing. "The FIA have all the info, and waiting until the start of next year to do something is arguably too late. We've still got eight months to sort things out." In contrast, Mercedes' Toto Wolff brushed off the concerns as he stated the sport should "stick to the outcome of the last engine meeting, rather than try to predict what it's all going to be like." He added: "I think we can react pretty quickly if there was such a problem. "But I think it's again gamesmanship, based on guessing and opinion. There is no data supporting any of that [concern]. So it's just another opinion. Yet again."