After considerable outrage from drivers and fans alike, F1 will introduce mid-season engine rules for the new power unit introduced for the current campaign.
The regulation introduced a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power; this meant drivers had to use the engine properly to charge the electric side, leading to an unprecedented emphasis on energy management.
Drivers have complained that this has forced them into counterintuitive techniques, such as lifting off the throttle on qualifying laps, and has diminished their ability to push the car to the limit, as they have to conserve energy to use the full capacity of the energy.
One notable hater of the regulations is Max Verstappen, who has not had the start of the season he hoped for, sitting in the middle of the grid and unable to compete with Mercedes and Ferrari at the top. He has been the most vocal about how even suggesting the new car has made him consider his long-term future in the sport.
The issue is the scale of performance variation between a car deploying all its energy and a driver recharging their electric vehicle with full electrical deployment, and another with charge left. The difference can reach 470bhp, creating sudden and potentially dangerous speed differences.
This dangerous speed difference has already happened this season in the last race before the month gap. During the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman suffered a massive 50G crash at the Spoon Curve while attempting to overtake Franco Colapinto. The accident was triggered by a dangerous 50 km/h speed differential caused by the new 2026 power unit regulations; as Bearman used his battery boost to pass, Colapinto’s Alpine began "harvesting" energy, causing it to slow down abruptly. To avoid a rear-end collision, Bearman veered onto the grass at high speed and lost control, spinning violently into the barriers. While Bearman escaped with only minor bruising, this incident shed light on what the drivers had previously been complaining about and led to these regulatory changes.
This is not the first time Colapinto has caused accidents or near-accidents in Australia. Liam Lawson narrowly avoided hitting one due to his slow-starting Alpine.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the approach as targeted rather than drastic. “We all share the same objectives. It’s how we can improve the product, make it out-and-out racing, and look at what can improve in terms of safety.”
The changes were approved unanimously at a meeting of the F1 Commission, likely due to Bearman's crash, in which he was seen hobbling out of the car. This decision involved teams, F1 management and the FIA and is expected to be formally ratified by the FIA World Council.
The changes to qualifying are aimed at reducing how much drivers have to manage their energy and allowing them to push flat out for an entire flying lap.
In recent seasons, drivers have often been forced to lift off the throttle during qualifying to harvest enough electrical energy for later parts of the lap. Under the revised rules, the amount of energy a car is allowed to recharge per lap has been reduced from 8 MJ to 7 MJ. This reduces the incentive to slow down to recover energy.
To balance this, the system now allows cars to recover more energy while remaining at full throttle. The limit for this process, known as super-clipping, has been increased from 250kW to 350kW. In practical terms, this allows the car to briefly run with reduced electrical power without the driver lifting, keeping the lap flowing naturally. Teams are targeting between two and four seconds of this effect per lap.
These changes will also apply at more venues. The number of circuits with stricter energy limits has increased from eight to 12. These are typically tracks with long straights and fewer heavy braking zones, making energy harvesting more difficult.
The overall objective is straightforward. Qualifying laps should be driven flat out, with lap times determined by speed and execution rather than energy-saving techniques.
In race conditions, the focus shifts to safety and consistency. The governing body is seeking to reduce large speed differences between cars using different power levels, an issue highlighted by uncomfortable closing speeds in previous races such as Suzuka.
Under the new measures, boost mode will be capped at 150kW unless a car is already deploying more power than that. Full electrical power of 350kW will only be available in clearly defined acceleration zones. In most other parts of the lap, deployment will be limited to 250kW.
Cars will still be allowed higher deployment on straights where rear wings are open, but full power will be restricted through corners and mixed sections of the circuit. This is intended to make performance more predictable, reduce sudden speed differences between cars, and improve safety during close racing.
Taken together, the changes are designed to simplify energy use, make qualifying easier to follow, and ensure race battles are decided by driving and strategy rather than abrupt power variations.
The FIA said: “These measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities and overall performance characteristics.”
Other concerns include how the new cars behave in heavy rain, given the instant torque generated by full electrical deployment. Tyre blanket temperatures will be increased to improve initial grip in wet conditions. Maximum electrical deployment will be reduced to limit torque and improve control (exact figures yet to be confirmed). Rear light systems will be simplified to provide clearer visual cues for following drivers in poor visibility.
F1 will also trial changes to race starts in Miami following several bear misses this season. The trial measures include: A low-power start detection system to identify cars with abnormally low acceleration. Automatic MGU-K deployment to ensure a minimum acceleration level, without providing a sporting advantage. Flashing rear and lateral warning lights. New restrictions are preventing cars from arriving on the grid with low battery levels.
While some fans have reacted sceptically, the FIA insists the system is a purely safety-driven intervention.
Taken together, the changes represent a significant recalibration of F1’s new engine era rather than a retreat from it.
The technical philosophy remains intact, but the governing body has clearly accepted that the balance had tipped too far away from driver instinct and safety. With concerns growing inside the cockpit and near-misses already occurring on track, intervention was no longer optional.
Miami will now serve as the first real test of whether F1 has found the right compromise to restore confidence, reduce risk, and give drivers back the freedom to race at the limit.
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