FIA and teams agree in principle to further 2026 power‑unit changes after Miami

Formula 1’s 2026 engine rules were supposed to be the big reset. More electric power. New energy-management demands. A cleaner technical direction for the next era. But the first races showed the package still had rough edges — especially around harvesting, drivability, and how weird the cars could feel in certain phases of a lap. So on May 8, just after the Miami weekend, the FIA, Formula One Management, team principals and the sport’s five power-unit manufacturers agreed in principle to keep changing it. ### What actually happened after Miami? The immediate news is simple. The FIA held an online meeting on May 8 with teams, F1 and engine manufacturers, reviewed the Miami changes, and came out saying more “evolutionary changes” are now agreed in principle. These are not a total rewrite. They are targeted adjustments to the 2026 framework, with the bigger hardware-related shift aimed at 2027. (fia.com) ### Why was Miami such a big checkpoint? Because Miami was the first race weekend that used the first rescue package. On April 20, the FIA and stakeholders had already agreed tweaks to reduce excessive energy harvesting, make qualifying more flat-out, and improve safety. Those changes included cutting maximum recharge from 8 MJ to 7 MJ, raising peak “superclip” power from 250 kW to 350 kW, and changing race deployment rules so cars were less likely to create huge closing-speed differences. (fia.com) ### Did those Miami fixes work? Broadly, yes — at least enough to calm the panic. The FIA said the Miami measures improved competition and that no material issues or safety concerns were identified after implementation. That matters because it gave the governing body cover to keep refining the rules instead of blowing the whole concept up after only a few races. (fia.com) ### So what is changing for 2027? The big idea is to rebalance the hybrid split. The package agreed in principle would raise internal-combustion-engine output by about 50 kW, increase fuel flow, and cut Energy Recovery System deployment power by about 50 kW. In plain English — less of the lap depends on electrical shove, and more comes from the combustion engine. (fia.com) ### Why does that matter so much? Because the original 2026 concept leaned heavily into a near-50/50 split between combustion and electrical power. On paper, that looked modern and ambitious. On track, the catch is that too much dependence on electrical deployment can make the cars feel artificial — drivers end up managing energy more than attacking corners and exits. A 50 kW swing is not cosmetic. It changes how the car delivers performance and how manufacturers prioritize development. (fia.com) ### Is this only about lap time? No — it is also about safety and making the cars more intuitive. The FIA explicitly tied the latest discussions to competition, safety, and making the rules fairer and easier for drivers and teams to work with. Further evaluation of the Miami package is still going on too, including start-safety revisions and wet-weather measures for future events. (the-race.com) ### Are the rules final now? Not yet. The FIA said more detailed technical-group work is still needed before the final package is decided, and the refined changes would then go to the World Motor Sport Council for approval after power-unit manufacturers vote on them. So this is agreement in principle, not the last word. (fia.com) ### What’s the real takeaway? Basically, F1 has admitted the 2026 engine formula is still a live project. Miami showed the first fixes were worth keeping. The May 8 meeting showed the sport is already looking beyond emergency patches and toward a softer, more usable hybrid balance for 2027. That is good news if you wanted pragmatism. It is a warning if you assumed the rulebook was settled. (fia.com)