How F1's planned 60-40 power split for 2027 will affect each manufacturer

In case you missed it, the FIA announced at the end of last week that it had agreed in conjunction with Formula 1's teams and power unit manufacturers to modify the engine regulations for next year. The internal combustion's maximum power output will be increased by 50kW, bringing it up to a total of 450kW (603bhp), and the electrical motor faces a 50kW cut for a maximum of 300kW (402bhp). The hope is that this provides a panacea for the lingering effects of energy starvation, and further smooths out what has been a rocky road for the much-derided 2026 powertrain rules.

There was a desire within F1's higher-ups to keep the 50-50 split in power output between the mechanical and electrical components in the car, but this was no longer tenable. Pragmatism won out, and the umbilical was finally cut. Reducing the motor output thus reduces the energy consumption through the lap, which should further eradicate the more extreme harvesting tactics needed at certain venues, but without a net power loss as the ICE will likely benefit from increased fuel flow.

It won't be as simple as using more fuel and turning the motor down, however; the increased duty cycle of the engine running at power levels for it wasn't necessarily designed may yield an increase in the chance of reliability issues. 

All five manufacturers will be producing new powertrains for next season anyway and, at this point in the year, each one will have an iteration of their planned 2027 powertrains in the oven, which will evolve with their understanding from this season and any potential ADUO-permitted updates. The uprated units will need some level of rework to cope with the increased demands, which might set back the development phase a little bit as the engineers adjust the parameters in the background.

But who will it affect the most? We don't know what each manufacturer has up their sleeve for next year but, using the current-spec '26 power units as a baseline, one can ascertain the direction of travel expected in their respective development rooms.

Mercedes - Engine should fill 50kW swing easily

Mercedes should have an easier job of finding 50kW from its powertrain for next year

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Of all the five manufacturers, Mercedes likely has the least to lose; sure, it'll be giving up the performance from its MGU-K, but the German outfit's internal combustion engine is operating at the top end of the field. This has been visible in instances where the power delivery from the MGU-K begins to ramp down, as the speed loss is less obvious versus some of its rival manufacturers. This suggests that the ICE is in a good place in terms of output and, with the increase in fuel flow rate, it should be able to hit the targets set out by the 2027 revisions. It might even surpass them; Mercedes' engine is already above the 400kW output estimation set by the FIA.

Filling in the 50kW gap partly depends on how energy-dense Petronas' formulation of sustainable fuels is. It was estimated under the previous turbo-hybrid era that Mercedes had lost a little bit of power versus Honda owing to the switch to E10 fuels, although the differences in energy density of the current sustainable fuels used around the field are unknown. 

Although it's been largely forgotten of late owing to the resolution in place, but let's not forget that F1 will implement compression ratio measurements at 130C from 1 June. Mercedes is adamant that this will have minimal effect and, from 2027, the ambient temperature measurement will be removed. Even if true, this likely only produces a swing of a few horsepower. Mercedes already has plenty of that to spare.

Red Bull-Ford - More help than hindrance

The first-ever Red Bull-Ford engine is already strong

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Let's give the Red Bull-Ford alliance its flowers: for its first F1 powertrain to not only be competitive out of the gate, but to straddle the ADUO line and sit within a few horsepower of the Mercedes unit, is a stunning effort. Of course, it benefits from experienced leadership - its project manager Ben Hodgkinson spent over two decades at Brixworth with Mercedes - but the pieces have come together remarkably well. 

It's understood that its internal combustion engine is somewhere between 10-15bhp off Mercedes' own V6, and this gives the team some hope that it too can make up the need to find 50kW out of the additional fuel flow. Like Mercedes, it could also get beyond the 450kW target with some canny design decisions.

The reduction in MGU-K power also helps Red Bull as it has been suggested, despite the solid efficiency of the electrical power package, that the engineers have had a job to consistently draw the full 350kW out of the motor. The Red Bull-Ford PU has been lightning-fast out of corners and in reaching high top speeds, but much of that can be put down to a lower-drag package rather than the motor output. The new 300kW restriction should thus give the powertrain engineers less of a headache.

Ferrari - New turbo needed to overcome deficit

Ferrari's small turbo is slowly constricting the powertrain's output versus other manufacturers

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It's known that Ferrari expected to get something out of the ADUO upgrade system, falling outside of Mercedes' peak ICE output by two percent, and the viewing public faces a wait to find out if the Maranello concern can close the gap with additional updates. It depends whether Ferrari has already got something in the pipeline.

Ferrari's strength lies at the starts of races, having built a smaller turbo to overcome the loss of the MGU-H with the new regulations. Without the MGU-H on hand to spool up the turbo instantly at the start, a turbo with less inertia ensured that this effect was mitigated, but the addition of the pre-start procedure and development of systems across the grid has weakened this. As of now, the Ferrari power unit's start-line advantage is only small, and is something of a millstone around its neck at the top end. 

The deficit can be addressed with a larger turbo, which in turn is able to derive more turbo boost from increasing the air compression. Otherwise, the increase in ICE power from increased fuel flow will only increase the pitfalls of a small turbocharger and hold the Ferrari back.

Audi - One step forward, one step back

Audi's first F1 PU is lacking outright power - and now has more to find in 2027

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If Audi is lacking a smidgen of outright power from the MGU-K, then the changes will address this. Although the German brand's first ever F1 powertrain deserves to be commended, it is still nonetheless short in outright power. It is understood that Audi had a 2027 prototype in the works some months ago with the intent of gathering a head start on its rival concerns, and uncovering power from the internal combustion engine must be at the head of that list.

In terms of outright power, it's not a world away from the Ferrari powertrain, just perhaps lacking by comparison in deployment stakes. Plus, its unwanted penchant for slower starts versus the rest of the field has led to suggestions that, while Ferrari makes use of a smaller turbo for a speedier getaway, the Audi's turbo might be more cumbersome against the rest by comparison to deliver more power at the top end.

Either way, the difference in turbo size is reflected in corner exit traction; even when compared to the Red Bull-powered Racing Bulls car, the Audi has a competitive level of speed at the end of its rev range.

What Audi might get back in terms of hybrid system, there's still a net deficit from the ICE - and that's what the 2027-spec engine will aim to address.

Honda - More ground to make up in engine development

Honda has a way to go with its power unit in 2026, let alone finding more from the ICE next year

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The 300kW restriction might not necessarily do much for Honda at this point.

The Aston Martins have been saddled with a power unit that could barely peel the skin away from a rice pudding. In the early rounds, its MGU-K has been running at a lower level than the 350kW maximum, although this may be in part due to the earlier reliability issues linked to its battery pack, which in turn was exacerbated by the engine-chassis vibrations. In any case, Honda had been trying to use the electrical power to accommodate for the deficit in internal combustion engine power, which has compounded its issues in 2026.

Honda's V6 is believed to be around 50-60bhp down on the top-line ICE packages, if not more, and will be eligible for the two upgrades allowed under ADUO. These figures should put it over 10 percent short on power versus the Mercedes benchmark, let alone below the four-percent threshold needed for the duo of ADUO tokens. By raising the 400kW target to 450kW, this gives Honda a lot more work to do for next season.

Much was made of Honda's powertrain division and its turnover of staff versus the Red Bull-Honda years, and Adrian Newey's apparent surprise at the fact that many of its engineers were moved into other Honda-owned projects. As someone with experience of Honda, Newey and Aston Martin surely should not have been blindsided by that revelation; this has been the brand's modus operandi for years. It suggests that the two parties did not really work as closely as anticipated...at least, not until it was too late.

How will the 2027 engine rule changes shake up the pecking order?

Photo by: Liam Fabre