Alongside the FIA World Motor Sport Council’s approval of the revised 2027 Formula 1 power unit regulations, another important rule has quietly been introduced. Under the updated regulations, the FIA will have the authority to reduce the race distance of selected Grands Prix by as many as four laps.
The measure is designed to help teams that want to avoid expensive chassis redesigns needed to accommodate larger fuel tanks required by the new power unit specifications.
FIA confirms gradual power unit changes for 2027 and 2028
During its latest meeting, the FIA officially approved a phased plan to rebalance the contribution of the internal combustion engine and the electrical components of Formula 1’s power units. Rather than implementing a major overhaul in a single season, the governing body opted for a gradual transition, with changes taking effect across both the 2027 and 2028 championships.
The decision reflects the concerns raised by several manufacturers, who opposed introducing the full set of changes immediately after investing heavily in the current generation of power units. Instead, they supported a progressive approach that would allow more time to adapt both technically and financially.
For the 2027 Formula 1 season, the internal combustion engine will gain an additional 20 kW—equivalent to roughly 30 horsepower—thanks to a five percent increase in the permitted fuel flow rate. At the same time, the MGU-K’s output will be reduced by 50 kW.
However, the target 60/40 split between combustion and electrical power will only be fully achieved in 2028. During that second phase, the combustion engine will receive another 30 kW increase through a further 13 percent rise in the maximum fuel flow.
The FIA has also approved several smaller changes to the hybrid system. Regenerative energy recovery will increase to 400 kW, representing a 50 kW improvement over the current limit, while the maximum battery energy deployment will rise to 5 MJ, approximately 25 percent higher than today’s specification.
These updates are expected to improve energy recovery efficiency, reduce the rate at which electrical energy is consumed, and lessen the overall dependence on the hybrid component during races.
Beyond the technical arguments, there were also political and financial reasons why some manufacturers opposed an immediate switch to the 60/40 power split. Several companies had already committed significant resources to developing the existing architecture, while others were still trying to close the performance gap to the leading power unit suppliers and wanted additional time before facing another major regulatory shift.
Why some Formula 1 races could become shorter
To ease the financial impact of the new regulations, Formula 1 has agreed to increase the cost cap allowance by three million dollars for both the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
Another major topic of discussion concerned race distance. Increasing the permitted fuel flow inevitably means using more fuel during a Grand Prix, requiring larger fuel tanks. Not every team was willing to redesign its chassis solely to accommodate the additional fuel volume, especially given the associated development costs.
Several teams preferred to retain their existing monocoque design for another season and instead focus their resources on performance-related areas of the car that would deliver greater competitive gains.
The downside is that at circuits where the internal combustion engine plays a larger role, or where opportunities for energy recovery are more limited, the existing fuel tank capacity could prove insufficient. Without carrying additional fuel, some teams would face the genuine risk of running out before reaching the chequered flag.
For that reason, as previously reported several weeks ago, the teams reached an agreement allowing specific Grands Prix to be shortened by a few laps. This solution enables those teams to keep their existing chassis design while still complying with the revised fuel consumption requirements.
The provision has now been formally included in the latest draft of the 2027 Sporting Regulations. Under the new rule, race control will be allowed to shorten selected Grands Prix by up to four laps during the 2027 season.
This temporary measure will disappear in 2028, when every team will be required to redesign its chassis to accommodate the larger fuel tanks needed for the further 13 percent increase in permitted fuel flow.
The FIA will provide teams with provisional race distances for every event on the 2027 calendar by the time the championship schedule is officially approved. The final race distance for each Grand Prix will then be confirmed no later than four weeks before the relevant race weekend.
New limits on pre-race laps
The regulation changes extend beyond fuel management during the race itself. They also affect the procedures before the start, when drivers leave the pit lane and complete installation laps before taking their positions on the starting grid.
Teams currently use these laps to evaluate the car’s balance under race conditions and to carry out practice starts at the end of the pit lane.
At present, there is no maximum number of installation laps that drivers may complete before lining up on the grid, provided they have exited the pit lane before it closes ten minutes prior to the start. The only exception is Sprint events, where drivers are limited to a single installation lap to speed up the pre-race procedure.
Beginning in 2027, however, the FIA will have the authority to impose a maximum number of pre-race laps. The objective is to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption before the start and ensure that every team has sufficient fuel available to complete the Grand Prix under the revised power unit regulations.
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