The 2027 engines will have more energy: the turbo and battery change

The changes to the power units approved for the next two years are proving to be more complex than previously thought. To increase the power of the combustion engine, the Federation acted not only on the fuel flow, but also on the pressure of the turbo, which will return to values ​​similar to those of 2025. In addition to reviewing the distribution between combustion and electric, the FIA ​​then decided to increase the capacity of the battery, forcing manufacturers to incur expenses that were not initially foreseen, all within the scope of the budget cap. Larger and more powerful batteries A change of great importance for the coming years has gone unnoticed. From the new regulations, we learn that in 2027 the battery capacity will go from the current 4 MJ to 4.5 MJ of energy, and then reach 5 MJ in 2028. The teams will thus be able to spend more energy to power the electric motor for longer, but they will also have to recharge more during the lap. Also for this reason, in 2027 the maximum charging power will rise from 350 to 375 kW, then reaching 400 kW the following year. Overall, in the coming years batteries will become more capacious and powerful, resulting in an increase in size and weight. Despite this, the FIA ​​has not adjusted the minimum weight, which will remain 35 kg for the battery pack and 185 kg for the entire power unit in 2027, while it will rise to 187 kg in 2028. The changes to the regulations also affect the software part, with greater freedom on energy management strategies. The increase to 10 MJ of rechargeable energy in the formation, formation and behind the Safety Car laps in the race, in addition to the slow laps and exiting the pits in qualifying, has been approved. The FIA ​​then abolished the obligation to progressively reduce the power of the electric part above 290 km/h, initially present for safety reasons, fearing that the new cars could reach too high speeds. However, reality has since shown that teams always tend to concentrate the electric power supply at the start of the straight to reach a high speed as soon as possible. However, the rule that prevents cutting electrical power all together will remain in force, forcing it to be done progressively. Photo by Paul Foster/Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images More pressure from the turbo The second package of changes concerns the combustion engine, from which we want to extract more power to re-calibrate the relationship with the thermal part. The FIA ​​acted on the flow of fuel, or rather on that of the chemical energy contained in the petrol injected into the engine. In 2027 the maximum limit will increase from 3000 to 3150 MJ/h, subsequently reaching 3400 MJ/h in 2028, which may require an increase in tank capacity. However, the increase in horsepower of the thermal part will also come thanks to the interventions on the turbo. The supercharging pressure of the turbo will rise from 4.8 to 5 bar absolute next year, then reaching 5.5 bar in 2028. We will therefore return to values ​​similar to those of the previous generation of power units, with which, although there is no maximum limit, it was customary to have the turbo work at 5.5-6 bar of absolute pressure. To arrive at the agreed values, some geometric parameters of the turbine and compressor will also change in 2028, increasing both the diameters of the impellers and the axial length. Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images Watch out for the budget cap The changes to the technical regulations make it inevitable that engine manufacturers will intervene on the power units, complicating the management of the budget cap in a season in which it was initially not foreseen that a new battery could be developed for 2027. However, the updated regulation explicitly provides for the possibility for manufacturers to intervene to adapt to regulatory corrections. Furthermore, for 2028, the homologation of an updated power unit has been prepared for all manufacturers, so as to be able to react to the even more impactful changes approved for that season.

Automobile Magazine – Formula1 English, News

2026-07-09 15:41:00