The changes announced by the FIA for Formula 1 engines in 2027 have already started to generate criticism within the paddock. The category’s former designer, Gary Anderson, stated that the changes do not solve the main problem faced by drivers, the difficulty of accelerating at maximum throughout the entire lap.
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On Friday, the FIA confirmed new adjustments to the power unit regulations for the coming years. Among the measures discussed is a nominal increase of about 50 kW in the combustion engine power, accompanied by an increase in fuel flow and a similar reduction in the power delivery of the energy recovery system.
According to the entity, the changes aim to make races safer, more balanced, and intuitive for drivers and teams. The FIA also stated that the changes were agreed in principle with the best interest of the sport in mind.
However, Anderson believes the package does not address the root of the problem. In his analysis published by The Race, the former designer used a generic circuit as an example to explain the limitations of the current concept, based on an approximate 50% split between combustion and electric power provided by the MGU-K.
According to the engineer, drivers want to accelerate fully for about 60% of the lap and brake hard for about 15% of the track. This would leave a significant section without adequate energy recovery potential, forcing competitors to resort to ‘lift and coast’ and the so-called ‘super clipping’.
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“That’s where it never made sense to me,” Anderson said. “Over a lap, you ask for maximum power for sixty seconds and brake for twenty seconds, so only 33% of the lap offers maximum potential for energy recovery, and that’s being generous,” he explained.
The former designer highlighted that this scenario ends up creating exactly the type of driving that drivers and fans most criticize today. According to him, the adjustments announced by the FIA do not show sufficient understanding of the magnitude of the problem faced by the category.
Based on the calculations presented in his analysis, Anderson believes that the battery’s maximum power should theoretically drop to 70 kW: “I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but one thing I tried not to do was make the same mistake twice,” he said. For him, those responsible for the rules still have not fully understood the severity of the situation created by the current Formula 1 regulations.
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