Journalist Adam Cooper believes Formula 1 is now very close to reaching the required supermajority.
The battle for a supermajority
As reported earlier this week, the FIA appears to have abandoned the idea of requiring unanimous approval in order to introduce the proposed 2027 power unit changes, which would shift the balance between thermal and electric power to a 60:40 split.
To secure the necessary supermajority within the Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC), four votes out of six are required from Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Audi, Cadillac and Honda.
The positions of the manufacturers
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has openly supported the proposed changes and confirmed that the Milton Keynes-based team is in favour of the new direction.
“All of us love the competitive side of Formula 1,” Laurent Mekies explained. “I believe the objective of the 2027 changes is to ensure that drivers can push flat-out in both qualifying and races while maintaining the current level of overtaking opportunities. I’m optimistic that we will find a majority in favour and that everyone will take a step in the right direction for the sport.”
Mercedes is also backing the proposal, with Toto Wolff describing the modifications as a sensible compromise for the future of Formula 1.
“The changes introduced so far have been positive and are helping to distribute energy in the right way,” Toto Wolff said. “The future adjustments require compromises from every power unit manufacturer, and I think this is a reasonable approach.”
Among the undecided manufacturers is Honda. However, comments from HRC trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara suggested that the Japanese company may not stand in the FIA’s way.
“We respect the FIA’s decision, so we will wait and see,” Shintaro Orihara stated.
In Honda’s case, many within the paddock believe the recent introduction of an additional ADUO support band — designed to help the Japanese manufacturer close the gap to rivals — could make the company less likely to oppose the Federation’s plans.
Ferrari and Audi remain opposed
Ferrari and Audi, meanwhile, are the two manufacturers most clearly positioned against the proposed regulation changes.
It is no secret that Audi boss Mattia Binotto wants to retain the current 54:46 power unit split for 2027 and delay any major changes until 2028, largely for financial reasons.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, on the other hand, has raised concerns over the greater freedom that the proposed rules would grant to leading engine manufacturers — currently Mercedes and potentially Red Bull — ahead of 2027. According to Ferrari’s position, those advantages would not exist under the current ADUO compensation system.
Could Cadillac become the deciding vote?
Cadillac may now emerge as the key factor in the political battle surrounding Formula 1’s future engine regulations. The American manufacturer already sits at the PUAC table because of its long-term ambition to develop its own Formula 1 power unit.
Many initially assumed that Cadillac — which will use Ferrari engines in the short term — would naturally side with Maranello during these discussions.
However, journalist Adam Cooper painted a very different picture in a report published by Road & Track: “A source told us on Tuesday that there are now enough votes to push the changes through, with Honda and Cadillac both in favour, even though neither has publicly declared its position yet,” Adam Cooper wrote. “That leaves Ferrari and Audi as the only manufacturers not supporting the proposal.”
Are Ferrari and Audi heading for defeat?
Despite the growing support for the 2027 engine changes, Adam Cooper explained that neither the FIA nor Liberty Media wants the situation to escalate into an open conflict. Even if Ferrari and Audi’s backing may no longer be essential, discussions are reportedly continuing behind the scenes in an attempt to address the concerns raised by both manufacturers and present a more united front.
In essence, Formula 1’s leadership appears eager to reach some form of compromise that would allow Ferrari and Audi to save face publicly while still enabling the regulation changes to move forward with broader support across the paddock.
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