F1’s key stakeholders will meet on Monday with the aim of deciding what tweaks to the regulations could be made following a series of discussions across the sport in recent weeks.
Discussions about the early implications of F1’s all-new 2026 chassis and engine regulations, which include, among other things, a nearly 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power, were always planned for after the season opener.
These received renewed attention after last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, where there were new driver criticisms of energy management requirements during qualifying at Suzuka, and then after Oliver Bearman crashed heavily in the race amid a huge speed difference with cars behind him.
Since then, a series of meetings have been held during F1’s forced April break to discuss what changes could be made, particularly to energy management, with the FIA and F1 taking part in discussions with engineers from teams and engine manufacturers, as well as discussions with the sport’s drivers.
Officials from F1, the FIA, teams and engine manufacturers will attend Monday’s meeting to agree on what plans will be submitted for final approval to the World Motor Sport Council’s electronic vote. The F1 season resumes with next week’s Miami Grand Prix.
In a social media post ahead of Monday’s meeting, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said talks on the matter had so far proven “constructive and cooperative”. He also thanked the drivers for providing “valuable input regarding the adjustments they feel should be made, particularly in the area of energy management to ensure a safe, fair and competitive race.”
Wolff: Use a scalpel, not a bat.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned that rule changes should be approached with a “scalpel, not a baseball bat”.
“I really have to say that the discussions that are taking place between the driver group, the FIA, F1 and the teams are constructive and we all share the same goal,” the Austrian told the media on Monday morning ahead of an important meeting.
“We’ll look at how we can improve the product and make it the best race we can be and what we can improve in terms of safety, but it’s important that we act with a scalpel and not a baseball bat. So I think we’re coming to a good solution, one that we’ll hopefully approve today as we evolve, because we only have three races left.
“And in a way, we have to learn from the past, where sometimes decisions were made in an erratic way and then we went too far and realized it wasn’t good, because we are the stewards of this sport. And in that respect, I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll improve the race while keeping it really good and adjusting the aforementioned goals.”
Mercedes’ George Russell, who is also a board member of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, spoke last week about the changes drivers wanted. “I think the two headline points are flat-out qualifying, no lifts and coasts, and then lower finishing speeds.
“The ending speed of the crash between Bearman and Colapinto was twice as fast. One is, of course, Bearman had the boost button on and was putting out 350kW, so he had plenty of power for the unusual parts of the track. And, conversely, Colapinto had used boost on the main straight half a lap earlier and his battery was dead, so he lacked power.”
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Highlights of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.
“So, at least from my eyes, where is this difference in closing speed coming from, and I think the FIA is definitely well aware of that. From a driver’s point of view, they’re just looking to reduce that closing speed in unusual areas, especially non-SM (straight mode). Having a straight that’s not in SM mode means that it’s a corner, and of course Bearman’s crash was on a non-SM part of the track. So I think we’re all in agreement on those points. ”
And while he acknowledges there will be an element of “compromise” in the changes as the car is currently set up to deliver the fastest lap times, Russell believes there are some obvious improvements in the short term, including increasing the allowable rate at which the battery can collect when the driver is at full throttle, known as “superclipping”.
“There are a lot of low hanging fruit,” Russell added. “For example, a minus 350 kilowatt super clip is easy, and the very fact that you have a minus 350 kilowatt super clip means you avoid a lot of lift and inertia.
“And there’s another little part of the regulations where you can only de-rate the engine at a certain rate, which means that on very short straights, you don’t have enough time to go from 350 kilowatts to super clip because the straights are too short. A few small changes around these regulations would greatly improve the overall driving experience.”
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Carlos Sainz says he hopes the FIA will come up with “better regulations” ahead of Miami, following Olly Bearman’s serious crash during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell added: “The FIA has had a lot of communication with some of the drivers and I think it was kind of a collective thing.”
“And at least from an FIA technical point of view, this is probably the closest relationship we have with the FIA in years. So this is a very positive thing.”
McLaren’s Stella feels a ‘sense of responsibility and spirit of cooperation’ during negotiations
Monday’s meeting will be attended by the leaders of F1’s 11 teams, and in a Q&A published on the team’s website last week, McLaren’s Andrea Stella said he was encouraged by the constructive nature of the talks so far.
“Under the guidance of the FIA, meetings are currently taking place between all parties involved, including the drivers who will eventually become stars of the sport, with the aim of determining what and how improvements can be made.
“For example, we’re looking at how we can ensure drivers are appropriately rewarded for driving ‘flat out’ in qualifying, but we’re also looking at how we can make starts and close races safer from a safety perspective.
On Monday, we will meet with the FIA and F1 to decide how these potential adjustments will be implemented. In any case, the sense of responsibility and spirit of cooperation shown by everyone represents the best response F1 can give at this time. ”
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
