Formula 1 bosses have confirmed a package of tweaks to the sport’s 2026 regulations that is designed to appease driver concerns over their safety and certain elements of competition.
A meeting on Monday – attended by F1, the FIA, team bosses and chiefs from engine manufacturers – saw several changes agreed upon for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.
Energy harvesting and deployment limits have been changed for qualifying in an attempt to allow drivers to push closer to flat out and reduce the amount they are required to lift and coast.
Similar measures have been introduced for races, along with capping of boosts and limits to power deployment in corners to improve safety.
Changes to the start procedure will be trialled in Miami, with the focus on improving safety by ensuring cars who struggle to pull away are not left as a hazard to others on the grid.
There were also changes to the regulations for wet weather conditions, largely focused on improving safety.
In what was widely considered to be the biggest regulation change in the sport’s history, the introduction of new power units, along with new chassis, saw electrical power increased to share a 50-50 split with internal combustion engines.
An FIA statement said: “A number of refinements to the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship regulations were agreed today during an online meeting between the FIA, Team Principals, CEOs of Power Unit Manufacturers and FOM.
“The final proposals presented during today’s meeting were the result of a series of consultations over the past few weeks between the FIA, technical representatives and extensive input from F1 drivers.
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“Discussions around potential adjustments were based on data gathered from the first three events of the 2026 season.”
Plans had always been in place to assess the early action and implement necessary alterations but focus on the regulations was heightened by both driver feedback and an extended gap in the schedule caused by the cancellations of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to conflict in the Middle East.
The dangers posed by drivers adjusting to the energy management system were highlighted by a big crash for Haas’ Oliver Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix, amid a significant speed differential with the car he was following.
Meanwhile, four-time world champion Max Verstappen has been highly critical of the racing the new regulations have produced, even suggesting he was considering his future in the sport as a result of his dissatisfaction.
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Other drivers have offered more measured feedback, particularly on qualifying and safety, but there has also been plenty of praise for the wheel-to-wheel action that has been offered up, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton suggesting he has never had more fun racing in F1.
Below are details of the changes the FIA announced on Monday, with final approval from the World Motor Sport Council, which should be a formality, required ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Qualifying
- Adjustments to energy management parameters, including a reduction in maximum permitted recharge from 8MJ to 7MJ, aimed at reducing excessive harvesting and encouraging more consistent flat-out driving. This change targets a maximum superclip duration reduced to approximately 2-4 seconds per lap.
- Peak superclip power increased to 350kW, previously being 250kW, further reducing the time spent recharging, and reducing driver workload on energy management. This will also be applied in Race conditions.
- The number of events where alternative lower energy limits may apply has been increased from 8 to 12 races, allowing greater adaptation to circuit characteristics.
Race
- The maximum power available through the Boost in race conditions is now capped at +150kW (or the car’s current power level at activation if higher) limiting sudden performance differentials.
- MGU-K deployment is maintained at 350kW in key acceleration zones (from corner exit to braking point, including overtaking zones) but will be limited to 250kW in other parts of the lap.
- These measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities and overall performance characteristics.
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Race starts
- A new “low power start detection” system has been developed, capable of identifying cars with abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release.
- In such cases, an automatic MGU-K deployment will be triggered to ensure a minimum level of acceleration and mitigate start-related risks without introducing any sporting advantage.
- An associated visual warning system is being introduced, activating flashing lights (rear and lateral) on affected cars to alert following drivers.
- A reset of the energy counter at the start of the formation lap has also been implemented to correct a previously identified system inconsistency.
Wet conditions
- Tyre blanket temperatures for intermediate tyres have been increased following driver feedback in order to improve initial grip and tyre performance in wet conditions.
- Maximum ERS deployment will be reduced, limiting torque and improving car control in low-grip conditions.
- The rear light systems have been simplified, with clearer and more consistent visual cues to improve visibility and reaction time for following drivers in poor conditions.
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season’s second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
