The players in Formula 1 are preparing to experience a pivotal moment. A crucial meeting is planned for April 9 to correct the main flaws in the 2026 regulations, revealed during the first three races of the season. Objective: to make rapid adjustments, potentially as early as the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
The new regulatory era has left no one indifferent. If the “yo-yo” style of racing divides – between supporters and detractors – it does not constitute a priority for the authorities. On the other hand, there is consensus in the paddock on several major issues and require rapid intervention.
Chief engineers, engine manufacturers, FIA and F1 leaders will thus try to agree on a series of targeted modifications. Three main axes dominate the discussions: security, qualifications and energy management.
La sécurité propulsée au sommet des priorités
Oliver Bearman’s spectacular accident during the Japanese Grand Prix served as an electric shock. The Haas driver escaped serious injury after a high-speed collision, caused by a 50 km/h speed differential with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, then in an energy saving phase.
A scenario feared since winter testing, as highlighted by McLaren boss Andrea Stella. After this incident, it’s hard to ignore the problem.
Qualifications : un spectacle dénaturé
Another hot topic: the appearance of qualifications. Drivers like Charles Leclerc regret the disappearance of laps launched at the limit, replaced by excessive energy management.
Between lift and coast, super clipping and erratic behavior linked to certain algorithms, the cars sometimes seem to be fighting against themselves. Result: a show considered difficult to read and frustrating, both for drivers and fans.
Speeds plummeting at the end of the straight
This is undoubtedly the aspect most criticized by fans: the sudden loss of speed at the end of the straight when the battery is flat. A phenomenon amplified with the new single-seaters, as observed in Melbourne or Suzuka. And when this loss of speed is combined with a passage through fast turns which no longer become justices of the peace, it is the pleasure of the drivers which also goes away.
Les solutions étudiées
Faced with these findings, five levers are currently under study and will be studied on April 9 in London by the teams, the FIA and the FOM.
1. Strengthen super clipping
Increasing the power recoverable during full acceleration (from 250 to 350 kW) would limit the use of lift and coast, thus reducing dangerous speed differences. The teams demonstrated that they all carried out super clipping in the same areas, unlike lift and coast. The safety point would therefore be greatly improved.
2. Slow down the cars to make better use of them
Spreading out the delivery of the maximum power of the MGU-K and therefore the use of energy over the entire straight line would avoid sudden cuts and favor more committed laps in qualifying.
A point which must be associated with a lowering of the recovery ceiling (currently 9 MJ per turn) to simplify energy management. But this would have a cost in performance: up to more than two seconds per turn with a limit of 6 MJ.
3. Simplify the regulations
Finally, the simplification of the rules appears essential. Certain parameters, such as energy activation thresholds, unnecessarily complicate the pilots’ task. The example of Charles Leclerc in China, trapped by an algorithm, illustrates this drift.
4. Rethink active aerodynamics
A more daring solution, under study, would consist of completely liberalizing the use of the “straight line” mode, currently restricted to certain areas. An approach reminiscent of the beginnings of DRS, with increased freedom for the teams.
5. Modify the motor balance (in the medium term) between thermal and electric
If the first 4 points can be activated from Miami, this is not the case for the 5th.
Increasing the share of the thermal engine (currently 400 kW against 350 kW for electric) would reduce dependence on electric energy. But this project cannot be completed before 2027 for reasons of reliability and design. However, this point must be decided as quickly as possible so that engine manufacturers can design new power units. A 60-40 distribution between thermal and electric could resolve current concerns, even if the deployment of energy should always be smoothed (point 2).
While these problems seem distinct, their solutions are closely related. Data accumulated since winter testing is currently being analyzed to anticipate the impact of each adjustment.
The meeting on April 9 therefore promises to be decisive: it will have to find a balance between security, spectacle and performance. A major challenge for a discipline that plays big with its technical revolution.
