The FIA is testing adjustments to the Formula 1 start sequence during the second pre-season test in Bahrain following concerns raised by teams and drivers. New 2026 regulations require drivers to rev engines for about 10 seconds to spool up turbochargers without the MGU-H system. Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have downplayed safety fears associated with the longer procedure.
Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, is addressing worries about the 2026 race start procedure by conducting trials at the end of each day during the second pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit. The new power unit rules emphasize electric energy from braking and eliminate the MGU-H system used from 2014 to 2025, forcing drivers to rev the V6 combustion engine for around 10 seconds to prepare turbochargers for a clean getaway.
Last Friday, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggested extending the time for drivers to line up and spool up their turbos. Ferrari reportedly opposed major changes after inquiring with the FIA in 2025 and receiving assurance that procedures would stay the same, leading the team to design a turbo that reaches boost levels more quickly.
The issue was discussed in the F1 Commission meeting on Wednesday morning in Bahrain, led by FIA single-seaters head Nikolas Tombazis and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. "There were constructive talks and proposals centred on the race start procedure during the commission meeting," the FIA stated. "As a result, further evaluation of updates to race systems and on-car management will be undertaken during the current Bahrain test."
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton dismissed safety concerns, saying, "It's definitely not dangerous. I think we should probably take that connotation away from it, because it's just a different procedure. It's just a longer procedure than it has been in the past." He noted that drivers could still pull away without full turbo spool, though anti-stall might occur.
Valtteri Bottas, driving for Cadillac with a Ferrari engine, echoed this, stating, "Honestly, I don't think it's more dangerous than before." He highlighted challenges for back-of-grid starters, who may lack time to prepare, but believed solutions would emerge.
The trials involve a red flag 10 minutes before session end, cars returning to the pit lane, two formation laps, and a five-second blue flashing pre-start warning before the standard lights sequence. No immediate changes were approved for other issues like energy depletion on straights, with the FIA opting to collect more data from early 2026 races.
