FIA confirms engine penalty rules to remain unchanged until 2028. FIA confirms F1 engine penalty rules through 2028.

The FIA has confirmed that Formula 1’s power unit penalty rules will remain unchanged through the 2028 season after they were relaxed for 2026 to accommodate the introduction of the sport’s new and more complex technical regulations.

With the arrival of the next generation of power units, Article B8.2.3 was added to the Sporting Regulations, granting every driver one additional unit for each major power unit component. The measure applies to all key elements, including the internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-K, energy store, control electronics (PU-CE), and auxiliary components (PU-ANC).

Compared to the original allocation of three ICEs and turbochargers, two MGU-K units, two energy stores, two control electronics, and five auxiliary components, drivers will now be allowed to use four ICEs, four turbochargers, three of each of the remaining major components, and six PU-ANC units without receiving grid penalties.

Initially, Formula 1 had planned to return to the standard allocation limits from the 2027 season onward. However, according to RacingNews365, the FIA has decided to extend these concessions until the end of the 2028 campaign, leaving the component allocation unchanged for two additional seasons.

Meanwhile, the power units themselves will continue to evolve. Between 2027 and 2028, Formula 1 will gradually move away from the planned 50:50 split between internal combustion engine power and electrical energy, shifting instead toward a distribution closer to 60:40 in favour of the combustion engine.

These technical changes were approved relatively late, reducing manufacturers’ development time and increasing the risk of reliability issues. For that reason, the FIA has chosen not to reduce the number of components available without penalty, avoiding additional pressure on engine suppliers during the early years of the new regulations.

The penalty system itself will also remain unchanged. Any power unit component used beyond the permitted allocation will result in a 10-place grid penalty, with an additional five-place penalty applied for every further extra component introduced beyond that limit.