Wolff: Proposal to reduce F1 2026 hybrid deployment "a joke"

The Formula 1 Commission is set to discuss further tweaks to the energy deployment of the 2026 power units, which has not gone down well at Mercedes.

Based on unease from certain parties over the side effects of F1's 50/50 split between internal combustion power and the electric element, the F1 Commission will discuss further tweaks to the engine regulations on Thursday.

Fears are that with a much bigger reliance on hybrid energy compared to the current generation, cars will run out of battery power much earlier on the straights at certain power-sensitive circuits, which could lead to them slowing down beyond the current levels of derating.

While there will be no physical changes to the new hardware, the FIA could play around with the level of battery deployment that drivers are allowed to use. One more radical idea is to drastically bring back the use of electric power in race trim - with a reduction from 350kW to 200kW having been mentioned - which is unlikely to receive much support in the meeting.

A more reasonable tweak could be to only adjust battery use on the power-sensitive circuits involved, including Monza and the likes of Las Vegas, Jeddah and Baku. But Autosport understands it would be very premature to assume major changes, beyond some case-by-case refinements, will be voted through.

Red Bull's Christian Horner, whose team will introduce in-house engines in a partnership with Ford, is a supporter of the idea but denied suggestions he has lobbied for changes to the energy split.

"I think that this is something that we asked to be looked at two years ago and it's not something that we've pushed to be on the agenda this week at all," Horner claimed.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

"The FIA have gone away and done their research, and I think what they want to desperately avoid is a lot of lifting and coasting in the grand prix itself, which is going to be not particularly good for the sport and hugely frustrating for the drivers.

"So, it's not something that we've lobbied for or asked for and if they're doing it in the interest of the sport, then you've got to support it."

On the other side of the equation, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was not impressed when he found out the 2026 engine question returned to the F1 Commission agenda.

"Reading the agenda of the F1 commission is almost as hilarious as reading some of the comments that I see on Twitter on American politics," he fumed. "I really want to protect ourselves and make no comment, but it's a joke. A week ago, there was an engine meeting and then things like this end up on the agenda again."

When asked by Autosport if he shared Horner's concerns, former Mercedes engine guru and current Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell said: "With Jeddah as an example it's a long circuit with a fixed amount of energy to deploy and so the derates are different from other shorter circuits and that's a feature of a hybrid system.

"It'll be different. Is it bad? Not sure. We'll all have the same, won't we? So, the key thing is that everybody's got the same technical regulations."

Andrea Stella, who heads up Mercedes customer McLaren, took a pragmatic approach and felt teams should do what is necessary for the wellbeing of F1.

2026 Formula 1 rules

Photo by: FIA

"The principle I want to state very strongly is that it is the responsibility of all the stakeholders to make sure that the 2026 regulations are successful, because there's no point in teams competing with each other if we don't have a good sport," he said, when asked by Autosport about the talks.

"I think keeping the conversation open, such that we really go into the details considering overtaking, considering power deployment, considering power harvesting, everything that determines the quality of the product and therefore of the spectacle and therefore the health of the business; we should look into that and we shouldn't say it's frozen.

"If we see that some things need to stay open, then I think we need to have this open mind and keep working on that."

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur agreed with Stella that a compromise might be required: "We have to be open with this and avoid starting to fight because we think that we have an advantage on the battery or whatever. This could be the worst-case scenario for F1.

"We have never had such a big change of the regulations because it's the first time that we are doing the chassis, engine, sporting regulations at the same time. It's a challenge for the teams and for the FIA. Let's have a discussion this week and I hope that we'll find a good compromise."