The FIA and Formula 1 teams have agreed on changes to the 2026 regulations, set to debut at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend. The tweaks aim to reduce closing speeds between cars and eliminate unintended overtakes, while improving qualifying performance. Drivers and officials expect these adjustments to enhance safety without compromising racing.
Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, alongside teams and stakeholders, finalized a package of technical changes to the 2026 power unit regulations last week during the series' April break. These modifications address safety concerns highlighted by incidents like Oliver Bearman's crash at Suzuka, where he spun avoiding Franco Colapinto's Alpine due to a high closing speed from differing electrical boost levels. Bearman called the crash 'unacceptable,' attributing it partly to Colapinto's actions, though boost disparities amplified the risk. Similar issues plagued Lando Norris at the Japanese Grand Prix, when he overtook Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari at 130R but lost the position after depleting his battery with sudden power surge. Charles Leclerc faced comparable problems in China qualifying. Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater director, told media the changes target both closing speeds and 'unintended overtaking.' 'The unintended overtaking is also related to the closing speeds,' Tombazis said. 'We believe that the measures we've taken to address the level of boost and the level of power in certain parts of circuit goes to some extent towards addressing this issue.' Key adjustments include raising super clipping power from 250kW to 350kW for faster battery recharge, while cutting the qualifying harvesting limit from 8MJ to 7MJ to curb excessive lift-and-coast tactics. Electrical deployment is now capped at 350kW in key acceleration zones and straights with straight mode, dropping to 250kW elsewhere, even in overtake mode. Race boost adds a maximum 15kW, and power-limited modes activate regardless of throttle lift to prevent resets from minor errors. A low power start detection system aids sluggish race launches. McLaren's technical director for performance, Mark Temple, shared simulations showing lap time losses of two to three tenths, mainly from reduced straight-line deployment, but more natural qualifying without prolonged coasting. 'Lift and coast should no longer be a thing in qualifying,' Temple said. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and driver Oscar Piastri praised the collaboration. 'It's been actually quite refreshing,' Piastri noted, though both anticipate further tweaks based on upcoming races. Tombazis emphasized ongoing data-driven assessments with input from teams, FOM, drivers, and fans. The Miami Grand Prix runs May 1-3, offering the first real test of these changes.
