McLaren boss Andrea Stella has called for Formula 1 to make major adjustments to the current power unit regulations, laying out a timeframe of two years for it to be finalised.
F1 returned in Miami to “refinements” to the much-maligned regulations that debuted in Australia, and the race produced perhaps the highest quality of entertainment so far this season.
However, there was an overall sense of underwhelm from the top three drivers after the race, with Lando Norris flippantly suggesting: “You just have to get rid of the battery.”
Norris added: “Hopefully, in a few years, that’s the case,” presumably in reference to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s revelation that F1 will return to V8 engines in the next regulations cycle.
There was no doubt that the refinements would only be a small step in the right direction, which the top three alluded to, something that Stella corroborated, acknowledging a need to change the hardware.
“Hardware adjustments to the power unit in order to improve Formula 1 in general, I personally think are required,” he told media, including Motorsport Week after the race.
“They will have to do realistically with the fuel flow to increase the power from the internal combustion engine.
“I think they might have to do with harvesting more power than the power you actually deploy, because you spend much more time deploying electrical power, rather than harvesting it.
“This can be rebalanced by harvesting to a larger power than we do today. From 350kW, can we go to 400kW, can we go to 450kW? And then I think we just need bigger batteries.”
McLaren bounced back in Miami, with Norris winning the Sprint Race, followed by a second-place finish in the Grand Prix, admitting to being frustrated that he and the team were unable to leapfrog eventual winner Kimi Antonelli.
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