Audi will not stand in the way if Formula 1 manufacturers decide to abandon the 50/50 power split between electrical and internal combustion elements that defined the 2026 regulations, according to The Race.
F1 manufacturers and teams meet Monday with series chiefs and the FIA to discuss potential fixes for early problems with the 2026 rules. Ideas under evaluation include increasing super clipping power to 350kW, reducing the recharge limit per lap to as low as 6MJ, cutting overall battery power, and tweaking active aero mode rules. The target: address safety concerns related to huge closing speeds and improve the challenge and spectacle of qualifying.
A plan could be rolled out starting from the Miami Grand Prix, with some modifications possibly delayed until shortly before the summer break.
The 50/50 Question
The notional 50/50 power split was viewed as a critical element that attracted new manufacturers such as Audi. Changing that balance—whether by increasing fuel flow to boost ICE output or reducing the 350kW electrical power allowance—could face resistance for political reasons. Increasing fuel flow is not realistic in the short term and could only take effect for 2027. Pulling back electrical power would be controversial.
Audi F1 project leader Mattia Binotto clarified that the 50/50 figure was not the deciding factor in Audi’s entry. “I think that Audi has not been part of the 50/50 decision,” Binotto told The Race. “That was before. Certainly when Audi decided to join, it was for high-efficiency engines, sustainable fuel, a significant part of electrification and then the removal of the MGU-H, because Audi believed that the knowledge [of this] would have been a competitive advantage to the previous manufacturers. But Audi has not been part of the 50/50 discussion.”
Binotto made clear Audi is open to changes that improve the sport. “I think it would be bad if it becomes political, because I think there is the interest of everyone to make that sport the best possible,” he said. “In some situations, we need to understand we are all part of a great business, and we need to keep it great. So if it becomes political, I would think that whoever makes it political, is making it wrong. We need to work all together to improve it as much as we can. Yes, there will be solutions that may affect one team more than another. But that’s part of the challenge we have.”
Competitive Interests at Play
Getting enough support for changes may not be straightforward. Any tweaks could have competitive implications. Mercedes is unlikely to support changes that wipe away key advantages it has with its power unit. Ferrari will want to retain its edge on race starts. If changes make overtaking more difficult by reducing closing speeds, that could help Ferrari, which has managed to get ahead early in races.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledged the difficulty of making neutral changes. “I perfectly understand that we have to fine-tune,” he told The Race. “It’s for the benefit of everybody, and for the benefit of the show. But what we have to keep in mind, and I’m not complaining at all, is that each time that you will make a small change, it will go in the direction of someone or against someone.”
Vasseur continued: “When you design the engine, you decide about the size of the turbo, you decide about the size of the battery. You decide about whatever. So it means that we all have different characteristics, and each time that you will make a modification, even if it’s marginal and you are speaking about hundredths or thousandths of seconds, it will go in the direction of someone. When you are in a competition, for sure we are there to get the last hundredths of seconds. We are not there to give up something.”
Monday’s Crunch Meeting
Technical experts have spent the last fortnight evaluating and discussing energy management options. Monday’s meeting will determine whether enough consensus exists to add changes to the rulebook. The focus is on what is best for F1, but competitive self-interest and political considerations will influence the outcome.
The manufacturers and teams will gather Monday to finalize a plan that could begin implementation at the Miami Grand Prix.