There will be no F1 cars on track in April, but the first of a series of important meetings that could have a big impact on how the season restarts is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Due to the Middle East conflict, races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled, leaving a five-week gap in the calendar leading up to the Miami Grand Prix from May 1-3.
The extra period following the opening three races in Australia, China and Japan has given the sport’s leaders time to reflect on and possibly adjust the new regulations that will be introduced for the 2026 season.
The introduction of the new power unit and chassis brought some success, with Lewis Hamilton and others saying they enjoyed racing more than ever, but there were imperfections.
Discussions about the regulations were always planned after the early rounds, but events at Suzuka brought them into new focus, with new driver criticism of energy management requirements during qualifying and Oliver Bearman’s dangerous crash during a huge speed difference to cars behind him.
Max Verstappen has been particularly vocal about the situation, with the four-time world champion claiming he is considering retiring from the sport at the end of the season if the regulations are not changed to something closer to his liking.
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A look back at Max Verstappen’s disappointing start to the 2026 F1 season
What will be up for discussion?
F1’s new power unit regulations call for a 50 per cent split between electric power and internal combustion engine power. Increasing dependence on electricity means that either drivers will need to charge their batteries in an optimal way, or cars will need to do so by “super-clipping,” or slowing down to charge the battery.
This caused Bearman’s big crash at Suzuka, with the Haas driver driving into grass to avoid Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, which had slowed down to recharge its battery.
Drivers seem pretty much in agreement that they want this element changed to avoid the potential danger of a situation like Bearman’s.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who is on the board of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said the drivers met with the FIA in Suzuka and single-seater director Nicolas Tombazis said changes would be made at the next race in Miami in early May.
Sainz said “better solutions” were needed to come up with “safer ways of racing” to deal with the significant finishing speeds.
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Carlos Sainz says he hopes the FIA will come up with “better regulations” ahead of Miami after Olly Bearman’s serious crash during the Japanese Grand Prix
“I was very surprised when they said, ‘We’ll sort out qualifying and leave the race as it is because it’s exciting.’ As drivers, we’ve been very vocal that the problem is not just in qualifying but in the race,” he said.
“We have been warning that this type of accident is bound to happen. In Suzuka, we were lucky to have an escape route. Imagine going to Baku or Singapore or Las Vegas and being shut down this quickly.”
“As the GPDA, we have warned the FIA that with this set of regulations, accidents like this are going to happen more often and if we don’t want them to happen, something needs to change soon.
“I hope this sets an example and the teams listen to the drivers and not the teams and some people who say, ‘Racing is OK,’ because racing is not OK.”
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Olly Bearman leaves after big crash ends race in Japan
One solution to eliminating lift and coasting, where drivers release the throttle before applying the brakes to charge the battery, is to increase the amount of power during super clipping.
Drivers can now charge 250kW when superclipping, compared to 350kW when lifting or coasting. Increasing the superclipping tolerance naturally causes the driver to lift and coast less. However, a potential problem called super clipping can still occur.
Battery management issues have spilled over into qualifying, with drivers seemingly unable to push to the limit and trying to take corners faster can sometimes take the car out of optimal energy deployment.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, one of the sport’s most aggressive qualifiers, explained in Japan how the situation is bothering him.
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Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton narrowly avoid a collision after a close overtake at the Japanese Grand Prix
“I don’t think it’s the best feeling for anyone to get into Q3, because we want to reach the limits of those cars,” Leclerc explained to Sky Sports F1.
“Whenever you play with these limits, you’re not only paying a small snap price, you’re paying a triple price straight up. That’s very frustrating because qualifying is us trying to find a limit and play with a limit.”
“Right now, if you play at the limit, you get destroyed in the straights, so you have to stay well below the limit, but that is an art in itself.
“A good driver has to make a difference anyway, but it doesn’t pay off very well for drivers who try to push it away. In Q3 it almost always pays off, but not with these cars.”
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Chinese Grand Prix qualifying comes to a thrilling conclusion as Kimi Antonelli takes pole position
At Suzuka, the FIA reached an agreement with five engine manufacturers to reduce the amount of energy recharge allowed for each lap in qualifying from 9.0 megajoules to 8.0 megajoules.
This was done to reduce super clipping, but it has not completely solved the problem and the FIA may choose to increase the charging limit further to 6.0 megajoules.
This means less energy can be recovered, so the car accelerates less, forcing the driver to reach top speed later on the straight, reducing the need for super-clipping or throttle-off into the braking zone.
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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc face off in Ferrari at Chinese Grand Prix
How does this process work?
Sky Sports News understands that no decision will be taken at Thursday’s meeting, but rather that this is the first of a series of meetings that could ultimately lead to some changes.
This initial meeting is understood to be more of an ideas session, and is expected to eventually lead to a full-fledged meeting later in April involving F1’s commercial rights holder FOM, the sport’s governing body the FIA, and team and driver representatives.
So, while it seems unlikely that any official communication will emerge from Thursday’s meeting, the nature of the process reflects key figures in the sport working collectively to achieve the best possible course of action.
While there is no doubt that the sport’s leaders are keen to address drivers’ concerns, they are also pleased with the reception the opening race has received from fans.
If any adjustments are made after this month’s meeting, they will likely be implemented starting with the next Miami race.
F1 will resume with the second sprint weekend of the season, the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1-3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
