McLaren sporting director Andrea Stella publicly urged major changes to Formula 1 power unit regulations, calling for higher fuel flow to raise internal combustion engine (ICE) power, much greater electrical energy harvesting from roughly 350 kW toward 400-450 kW, and larger batteries to rebalance harvesting versus deployment. Stella asked that revised power-unit hardware and rules be finalized within two years, effectively by mid-2028, framing the request as a McLaren push to shift the balance between hybrid systems and ICE power ahead of the next rules cycle.

Multiple sources and technical analysts warned the substantive hardware changes face long lead times and design constraints, saying higher fuel flow would force larger fuel tanks and likely chassis redesigns. Manufacturers and teams have largely planned to retain their 2027 chassis, which makes meaningful implementation before 2028 unlikely.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem signaled interest in a return to V8 engines in the next rules cycle, and McLaren driver Lando Norris joked that teams should consider ‘getting rid of the battery.’