McLaren believes that deeper changes to the Formula 1 power unit regulations are unlikely to be implemented before 2028. The British team’s boss, Andrea Stella, stated that major adjustments require structural changes that affect not only the engines but also chassis and fuel tanks.
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After the first three races of 2026, F1 made adjustments to reduce extreme speed differences and improve competitiveness. The Miami GP was the debut of these changes, but teams and drivers still avoid definitive conclusions about the real impact on the cars’ energy management.
According to Stella, more effective solutions involve relevant technical changes, such as increased fuel flow and larger batteries: “Hardware adjustments in the power unit to improve F1 overall, personally, I think are necessary,” said the McLaren boss, in response to a question from motorsport.com. He explained that the current balance overly favors electric energy and suggested increasing the combustion engine power: “From 350 kW, can we go to 400 kW, can we go to 450 kW? And then I think we just need bigger batteries,” he said.
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The executive highlighted, however, that there is not enough time to implement these changes already in 2027. According to him, the development required by manufacturers is complex and directly affects the design of the cars: “The implications for battery size and dealing with the increased fuel flow usually require a longer development timeframe than the time available until the 2027 season,” he said. Stella hopes that discussions will be concluded before the mid-year break to enable possible implementation in 2028.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes boss, said he supports moderate adjustments to improve the spectacle but stated that the category is already in a good moment. Steve Nielsen, from Alpine, warned that changes in fuel flow directly impact the tank size and chassis concept: “Our ability to react will be overwhelmed if we start having major changes in the coming months, already for next year,” Nielsen concluded.
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