Formula 1 may be heading towards a significant revision of its landmark 2026 technical rules, with changes potentially arriving as soon as the Japanese Grand Prix.
The 2026 regulations, designed to introduce a near 50-50 split between electrical and combustion power, came under immediate fire following their debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
Drivers, including world champion Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, publicly criticised the formula, pointing to artificial overtaking, dangerous speed differentials and excessive cockpit workload as major concerns.
Speaking on the Motor Sport F1 Show podcast, F1 editor Mark Hughes outlined a sliding scale of interventions that is quietly taking shape in the paddock – and suggested that the sport’s own officials have not yet been fully transparent about how far-reaching those changes might need to be.
Hughes explained that the first intervention being explored is a recalibration of how energy is harvested and deployed, rather than any fundamental restructuring of the regulations.
“It’s leading more to the idea that we need more power from the internal combustion engine”
The second option could be something more fundamental: an increase in the contribution of the internal combustion engine to overall power output, although this has not yet been officially acknowledged.
“That’s where they’re going to be looking initially. But if that’s still not enough, I think it’s leading more and more to the idea that we need to have more power from the internal combustion engine,” Hughes said.
That would mean cars would replenish their batteries more efficiently and retain electrical power for longer during a lap, reducing the huge performance swings that characterised racing in Melbourne.
However, Hughes was candid about the limitations of this approach, saying his “gut feeling is that that still won’t be entirely satisfactory, but it’ll probably help at most circuits.”
Engineers had raised doubts about the viability of a 50-50 split long before the regulations were finalised, according to Hughes.
“A lot of engineers were saying that’s not feasible with the technology we have. It needs to be at least 60-40, maybe more,” he added.
With F1 having moved from an 80-20 combustion-to-electrical split under the previous regulations, a 60-40 ratio would still represent a meaningful step towards electrification, and one that could be sold credibly to the automotive manufacturers whose involvement helped drive the new formula in the first place.
