F1 'disagreements' revealed as critical rule change hangs in balance

Williams boss James Vowles has detailed some of the "disagreements" at the heart of the debate that could ruin a critical rule change.

At the Miami GP, it was announced for that 2027, F1's power units would change to a 60:40 split in terms of power output, a change from the 50:50 ratio between the internal combustion engine and batteries which had been a central plank of the new regulations.

In a bid to eliminate super-clipping and lift and coast and not leave cars without sufficient energy, the change was agreed in principle, but is now at risk of collapse following further talks.

To change the rules, a supermajority on the Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC) is required, a body which consists of the five PUMS, Audi, Honda, Ferrari, Mercedes HPP, and Red Bull Powertrains plus the FIA and F1.

To change the rules, four of the five PUMs plus the FIA and F1 must be in agreement, but it is understood by RacingNews365 that Audi and Ferrari are against owing to seperate concerns. 

Honda has signalled it is open to what is decided, whilst Mercedes HPP and RBPT are believed to be in favour.  

Williams is a Mercedes HPP customer, with team boss Vowles giving a behind-the-scenes update on what is going on, with a key meeting planned for last weekend's Canadian GP.

"No, not so, I was actually more impressed that we managed to get 11 teams around the table without us scratching our eyes out for a period of time," Vowles told media, including RacingNews365, when asked if there was any frustration over the situation. 

"We all recognise that we're not where we want to be yet in terms of some of these regulations, and no one has disappeared from the table. 

"Some of it is: 'What can we push out to 2028, and what can we still do for 2027?', and we still recognise that the racing is actually quite good. I personally think the Miami race and some of Shanghai were brilliant, but we're not flat-out in qualifying or where we need to be in other aspects.

"So I think it is slightly better than before, we are moving in the right direction, but there is more that we need to do. 

"Now, where it got to the disagreements, a lot of it comes down to some PU manufacturers are not able to react as quickly as others, and we have to acknowledge that these are very expensive operations and it is very difficult. 

"You are ordering a component in the power unit world probably 12 to 18 months in advance, so it is hard for them to directionally change that quickly, but we are still coming back to the table.

"It is a question of making sure we have a balance of what can be achieved by all parties.

The article continues below. 

Chassis changes

It is believed that the most efficient way to change the ratio of power output to 60:40 is to increase the fuel flow to the ICE to up its power. 

But this would require chassis changes, with the current ones designed around the 50:50 split, with fuel tanks required to be bigger.

It is something Vowles believes would not be an issue.

"This is where the FIA have been very strong, and there have been a number of discussions held over what the impact will be," Vowles added.

"Very clearly, if you up fuel flow, your fuel tank size needs to adjust as well, and at the same time, we've found a number of compromises to help us there.

"The second area is that there are changes required about what we're doing on the electrical side, and it is down to the limit where all PU manufacturers can deal with that without having a chassis change. 

"So there will be a number of teams carrying over the chassis into next year, and they will not be compromised."