Formula 1 has begun early talks about a bold shift away from its much hyped 50/50 power split between engines and batteries for 2027 or 2028, in a bid to properly resolve all that is wrong with the current energy-starved cars.

While a raft of rule changes have already been agreed for the Miami Grand Prix in a bid to get flat-out qualifying back, there is an acceptance in the paddock that the latest tweaks will not cure all that is wrong.

However, what also appears to have been accepted is that no amount of refinement within the current limitations of the 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and battery will get qualifying totally back to being a maximum attack situation.

One senior insider who has been involved in the latest discussions suggested that what has been changed for Miami has only addressed around 20% of what ultimately needs to be done.

Against this backdrop, The Race has learned that discussions have already started about the potential to make broader tweaks to the power unit hardware – involving both the internal combustion engine and the batteries – for as soon as 2027.

Power figures

F1 chiefs and manufacturers are convinced that the current turbo V6 power units and four megajoule batteries can deliver the necessary power and energy for drivers to attack each lap fully.

However, things are compromised too much right now by the 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and battery, which was viewed as an essential element to bring manufacturers in.

So there is a growing belief that if the ICE output is lifted through an increase in fuel flow, and energy starvation can be reduced through a reduction in battery power, then that will put the cars in a much better window for running at their maximum potential.

Analysis is currently going on about how much the power of the two elements should be changed – with one idea being that a 50kW increase in the ICE and a 50-100kW reduction in the battery would be more than enough to make a notable improvement.

This would shift the current 400kW/350kW split - which is close enough to 50/50 to fall within what F1 set out to deliver - to the region of 450kW/300kW, which is around 60/40.

However, F1 could create rules that continued to allow 350kW deployment in races, which would be a help for overtaking, and that would pitch it at 55/45.

An increase in internal combustion engine power within the 2026 season is impossible, which is why the idea did not form part of the Miami discussions.

The current ICEs have been designed around their current outputs, so increasing the fuel flow and adjusting their horsepower would cause reliability problems as the life of components would change.

This is why the idea is to see what is possible over the longer term – either for 2027 or 2028. 

Growing support

Such an overhaul would require a super majority from the power unit manufacturers group – so four of the five carmakers, as well as the FIA and FOM.

So while Mercedes may not necessarily be in favour because it enjoys a competitive advantage, it alone could not block the revisions.

Getting things across the line could be possible as there appears to be some growing backing for the idea, as conversations begin about whether the changes can already be introduced for 2027 or need to wait another year.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, whose team is supplied by Mercedes, said: “There should be a consideration for some hardware changes, more for the longer term, such that we can place the operating point of the power unit somewhere where less compromises are required from a chassis point of view, or from a driving point of view.

“We think this is possible, and we think that all stakeholders should approach this conversation with the willingness to contribute.”

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies added: “We agree with Andrea that it is a hardware change to go to the next step.

“[The Miami changes are] a good step. It goes in the right direction. Nobody pretends it is going to fix everything, but it's a good step, and we will certainly support more steps in the future so that the drivers can be flat out, out there.”

Recently, Audi made clear that the 50-50 element that has been linked to attracting it to F1 was not something that it was beholden to.

Project leader Mattia Binotto said other elements were actually key for Audi.

“Certainly when Audi decided to join, it was for high efficiency engines, sustainable fuel, a significant part of electrification and then the removal of the MGU-H, because Audi believed that the knowledge [of this] would have been a competitive advantage to the previous manufacturers," Binotto told The Race.

“But Audi has not been part of the 50/50 discussion.”

Sources have suggested that if the plan to move away from 50/50 is to come into play for 2027, then a decision would need to be made in the next few weeks so manufacturers can begin working on new designs.