F1 teams weigh shorter races for 2027 deal

Formula 1 teams and FIA negotiators spent Friday, May 22, discussing whether some grands prix should be shortened to help secure agreement on revised 2027 engine rules, according to reports by The Race and Motorsport.com. The talks are part of a broader effort to move away from the current planned 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power under the new formula and toward a 60/40 balance instead. That shift has already won agreement in principle in meetings after the Miami Grand Prix, The Race reported. The remaining dispute is less about the concept than about the engineering cost of making it work. ### Why are shorter races being discussed at all? The FIA’s immediate problem is fuel flow. The Race reported that raising the combustion-engine share of total power would require a higher fuel flow rate, which in turn would mean more fuel over race distance. On a normal design cycle, teams could simply build larger fuel tanks into new cars. For 2027, however, several teams were already considering carrying over their 2026 chassis concepts, making a tank redesign more disruptive and expensive, according to The Race. (the-race.com) Motorsport.com reported that reducing the distance of selected grands prix has emerged as one way to avoid forcing teams into major chassis changes. The same report said the FIA is trying to assemble a compromise package that can get the 2027 power-unit changes approved without triggering broader redesign costs across the grid. (the-race.com) ### What is changing in the 2027 engine plan? The May 8 meeting after the Miami Grand Prix produced agreement in principle to move the power split away from the planned 50/50 balance between the internal combustion engine and battery systems and closer to 60/40, The Race reported. The stated aim was to let cars run more flat-out and reduce the risk of energy-starved behavior on some circuits. (motorsport.com) The Race reported earlier that officials and teams had concluded that incremental tweaks within the 50/50 framework would not fully solve concerns about cars running out of electrical deployment on long straights. That is why the 2027 discussion has focused on hardware changes rather than only operational adjustments. ### Why does fuel-tank size matter so much? Fuel-tank packaging affects more than one part of the car. (the-race.com) The Race reported that if fuel flow rises enough to support the revised engine balance, teams may need larger tanks for full race distance. That becomes especially sensitive if teams want to retain much of their 2026 car architecture into 2027 rather than start from a clean-sheet chassis. (the-race.com) Several squads — and possibly as many as half the grid — were considering carrying over their 2026 chassis into 2027, The Race reported earlier this month. Under that scenario, shortening some races is being discussed not as a sporting change in isolation, but as a way to reduce the amount of fuel required and avoid expensive redesign work. ### Are teams actually backing the idea? (the-race.com) The Race reported on May 23 that a proposal to shorten some races and reduce laps to the grid had won support from teams as part of a package of measures. Motorsport.com separately reported that selected race-distance reductions could help avoid expensive redesigns and were under active discussion as the FIA sought a compromise. Neither report said a final agreement had been reached. (the-race.com) The same reports indicate the talks are now at the package-building stage. Teams appear to be weighing trade-offs between sporting format, engineering freedom and cost rather than arguing over a single rule in isolation. That framing is an inference from the reported discussions about fuel flow, chassis carryover and race distance. ### What happens next in Montreal? (the-race.com) Montreal became the next venue for negotiations this weekend. Motorsport.com reported that further talks over the 2027 changes were scheduled during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, and The Race said efforts to turn the Miami agreement in principle into a workable rule package were ongoing. (the-race.com) The next concrete milestone is whether FIA officials, Formula 1 and the teams can convert those talks into formal approval of a revised 2027 package. As of Saturday, May 23, the proposal under discussion still included shorter races as one option rather than an adopted rule. (the-race.com) (motorsport.com)