The FIA and all eleven Formula 1 teams agree that the new F1 engines still require adjustments. A decision on what changes will be made in the short term is expected after the Chinese Grand Prix, with several different scenarios currently under consideration, GPblog understands. While the teams often find themselves at odds, they appear aligned in their assessment of the new power units. In particular, the battery element of the power unit has emerged as a key concern for both drivers and teams.
Already during the Bahrain weekend, teams seemed to reach the conclusion that the current direction may not be entirely the right one. However, there is still no clear agreement on exactly what needs to be changed. As a result, it was decided to run both the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix first in order to better evaluate the issues in real-world conditions. In the meantime, around four or five possible solutions are being discussed as potential adjustments.
The discussions are not limited to the battery – which has been criticised by drivers including
Max Verstappen and
Lando Norris – but also extend to the internal combustion engine.
Adjustments must be genuine improvements
For the teams, a key question is how far any adjustments should go. At the same time, they must ensure that any measures introduced do not inadvertently make the situation worse.
That is why gathering as much data as possible from Melbourne and the upcoming weekend in China is considered crucial. Teams, for instance, expect energy deployment to be less of an issue in Shanghai than it was in Australia.
It remains unclear whether any changes will already be introduced in time for the Japanese Grand Prix.