Haas Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman has proposed removing lift and coast from the 2026 regulations to allow flat-out racing in qualifying and races. He made the suggestion after a high-speed crash during the Japanese Grand Prix raised safety concerns about speed differentials under the new powertrain rules. Bearman shared his views on the Up To Speed podcast amid an April break prompted by cancelled races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Haas driver Ollie Bearman wants one key tweak to Formula 1's 2026 regulations: the elimination of lift and coast. Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, he said this change would enable drivers to push at full throttle without battery limitations causing drastic speed drops on straights. The new rules feature a near 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, leading to battery clipping and de-rating that creates risks on track, as drivers and teams have noted after the season's first three rounds. FIA and F1 officials are reviewing potential adjustments during the unexpected April break following the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix. Bearman's own incident at the Japanese Grand Prix underscored the issue. He approached the slower Alpine of Franco Colapinto, who was harvesting energy, at high speed. Attempting to avoid him, Bearman veered onto the grass, lost control, and slid into the barriers. 'I don't think we need to flip things upside down; it's just a few small tweaks,' Bearman explained. He specifically called for harvesting at minus 350 kW on full throttle, up from the current negative 250 kW limit, and removing lift and coast entirely in qualifying and races. 'Lift and coast in quali is one of the most counterintuitive aspects... You can imagine a qualifying lap and you're halfway down the straight, and you lift off. I mean, it's super strange,' he said. Bearman believes everyone agrees on making qualifying flat out.
