The FIA technical department proposed a change in the distribution between electric and internal combustion power (currently set at a 50/50 ratio in the regulations), reducing the battery output during races from the planned 350 kW to 200 kW, shifting the ratio to 65/35 in favor of the internal combustion engine.
The idea was welcomed by some manufacturers but firmly rejected by Mercedes, whose stance has long been clear: a ‘no’ to any regulatory changes, postponing everything to next year, with a more open attitude only if the feared critical issues truly emerge.
“The F1 Commission has in principle discussed improvements to the energy management strategy for the 2026 season,” reported the FIA in an official communication, “as well as measures to address financial challenges that power unit manufacturers may face in 2026 in case of poor performance or significant reliability issues.” The possibility of increasing dyno testing hours for manufacturers encountering performance and/or reliability issues will also be considered, along with an additional budget allocation.
Among the agenda items were final changes necessary for implementing the mandatory two-stop strategy at the Monaco GP, managing parc fermé in cases where a driver decides not to wear the cooling vest (in extremely hot conditions), and the addition of rules to handle potential freight transport delays at fly-away events, as recently experienced by several teams ahead of the Chinese GP.
Lastly, the issue that arose during the recent Japanese Grand Prix weekend was discussed—multiple interruptions caused by grass fires at the trackside triggered by sparks from the underside of the cars. The Commission agreed to assess both an alternative skid material (steel instead of titanium) and a treatment that could be applied to certain circuits.
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