Drivers welcome FIA’s revised PU‑split rules for 2027 and 2028 — but warn core problems remain

The FIA’s confirmation of revised power‑unit regulations for 2027 and 2028 — including a staged rebalancing of the ICE‑ERS split — has triggered a wave of reaction across the Formula One paddock.

After a turbulent start to the 2026 engine era, the governing body has moved to address concerns over drivability, energy‑management complexity and the strategic distortions created by the original 50/50 concept.

Speaking ahead of the Barcelona‑Catalunya Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso, Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson all welcomed the direction of the changes, while cautioning that the underlying characteristics of the hybrid era remain difficult to escape.

Aston Martin’s two‑time world champion Fernando Alonso offered the most pointed critique, arguing that the need for mid‑cycle regulation changes so early in the new era highlights deeper structural issues.

“Yes, I said in the last few races as well, obviously now there is a confirmation on the rules. But yes, let's see. I think we need to give time and hopefully things get better and the fans enjoy it a bit more, and drivers, we are a little bit happier with the car.”

Alonso stressed that while tweaks may help, the fundamental behaviour of the 2026‑spec power units remains unchanged.

“But at the end of the day, these power units, they have this DNA and it will be difficult to change. You can make a small tweak on the rules, but it will always reward to go slower in the corners to have more energy on the straights, and that's, as I said, the DNA of the rules.”

He also pointed to the speed with which the FIA has been forced to intervene.

“And by race seven of this year or whatever, that we need to change the rules for next year and potentially for 2028, it tells you that it was something wrong from the beginning.”

Haas driver Oliver Bearman, one of the standout performers of the early 2026 season, welcomed the changes as a step toward restoring a more natural driving style.

“Yeah, I think the rule changes are in the right direction. It's moving more towards consistency and being able to drive how we've all grown up driving, which is driving on instinct and not thinking really about the knock‑on effect of, if you drive this corner differently to the way you did the lap before, is it going to have a positive effect or a negative effect? That's not ideal.”

Bearman highlighted the restrictive nature of the current energy‑management rules.

“We're quite limited on gear usage, all of these things you have to be really strict on. So, there's really not a lot of opportunity to invent.”

“And I think already giving a bit more work to the ICE and a bit less to the ERS is a step in the right direction. Even if it's a phased step, I think it’s more towards what we want, maybe not all the way where we want, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson echoed both Alonso and Bearman, emphasising the desire for cars that reward pure pace rather than energy‑management micromanagement.

“Yeah, I agree with what they both said. I think we just want to drive cars that we can drive flat out and not have to think about anything else, and I think that’s a step in the right direction to that.”

However, Lawson also acknowledged that some limitations are inherent to the hybrid era: “But I think, as Fernando said, the baseline is always going to be there a little bit, and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to fully avoid that with these power units.”