Racing
© Jonathan Borba
James Vowles has revealed that Formula 1’s 2027 rules reset extends well beyond the already announced power-unit changes, with the Williams team principal saying “fairly significant” aerodynamic revisions are coming around the bib, rear wing and floor.
Speaking to Sky F1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, Vowles said the changes also affect the floor edge and plank, and made clear teams should not expect a simple carryover from their current designs. “They are fairly significant,” he said. “As a result of that, it isn't really as [much of a] carryover as I think everyone would like,” though he added that was “for good reason.”
His comments matter because F1 has spent this season dealing with criticism over the way energy management shapes the racing. Drivers and teams have questioned the amount of lift-and-coast and harvesting required, while “super-clipping” and overtakes driven by different battery states have added to complaints that cars cannot attack over a full lap. The sport has already moved to change the internal combustion-to-electric split from the current 50/50 to 58/42 in 2027, then 60/40 from 2028.
Vowles said the aerodynamic side is being changed alongside that power-unit adjustment, even if it was not expected when the season began. “I think it’s directionally correct, I agree with what the sport is doing,” the Williams boss told Sky F1. “It will help a little bit with creating a better format, a better show frankly, but it goes hand in hand with the PU regulations that we’re doing too.”
The disclosure also appeared to catch him off guard. When told the aerodynamic changes had not yet been made public, Vowles replied: “Really? I haven’t said anything that I don’t think should be public at this point.” He then framed the rethink as part of F1’s attempt to improve both qualifying and race conditions. “It’s a mixture of PU regs and aerodynamic regs that will help put the sport in a better place next year.”
Details reported elsewhere in the summaries point to a wider rewrite than the word “tweaks” initially suggested. The rear wing is set to become about 20mm shallower, the number of permitted floor leading-edge devices will be cut from five to three, and the front section of the plank will be shortened by 300mm, from 900mm to 600mm.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin technical director, said that front-floor change alone will alter the way teams approach the cars. “The leading edge has been moved by about 300 millimetres, which allows you to run the front of the car lower,” Newey said. “That brings a different set of aerodynamic characteristics.”
Taken together, the changes suggest F1 is not just tuning its 2027 package around the engine balance, but reshaping the cars to reduce the energy-management problems that have frustrated drivers and affected the quality of racing.