Analysis: Are the announced rule changes sufficient?

(Motorsport-Total.com) – No matter how you feel about the Formula 1 rules for 2026, pragmatism is now required. The regulations will probably remain in place until the end of 2030, and it is up to all those involved in the premier class to make the best of them.

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In meetings during the April break, Formula 1, FIA, teams and drivers tried to subject the first three races to a kind of autopsy and put possible changes on the table.

Originally, those responsible wanted to focus on reviving the qualifying spectacle. Although the current cars are capable of high speeds and are only a few seconds slower than last year’s cars with enormous downforce.

However, the image of cars passively rolling into braking zones instead of biting into the kerbs was seen as an anomaly. Formula 1 was satisfied with the aesthetics of the racing, even if a vocal part of the fans saw it differently.

Oliver Bearman’s crash in Suzuka forced a re-evaluation of this view. The Haas driver’s departure showed the danger of being surprised by different approach speeds and prompted Formula 1 to address the issue further.

The three goals of the discussions were therefore: partially reverse the damage to qualifying, address and try to reduce the difference in approach speeds, and introduce safeguards in the event of wet races.

Following Monday’s meeting with the teams, the FIA has now ratified some changes for the Miami weekend in May – but with a few additional elements to be tested for possible inclusion in future races.

How the new rules affect things

For qualifying, the recuperation limit has been set at a maximum of 7 MJ per lap, with the possibility of further reducing it depending on the track. A reduction in the maximum value should reduce the amount of super-clipping before corners.

Even if this does not eliminate the regular power reduction when drivers run out of energy on the straights, the visual flaw of lift-and-coast or slow rolling on the way into corners should be less noticeable.

It is unavoidable that the batteries must be charged during the lap, as they can only store up to 4 MJ. The solution is therefore a compromise.

When the cars enter the super-clipping phase, this process should be shorter. The maximum energy recovery has been set at 350 kW, previously the limit was 250 kW. This will brake the cars more strongly.

Theoretically, the 100 kW higher value shortens the super-clipping distance, and in an optimistic reading, this would transition more seamlessly into the conventional braking zone and further reduce the visual effect.

This also affects the races, as part of the effort to reduce the more noticeable differences in approach speeds. In addition, the boost button – essentially the 350 kW power-on-demand function – may only be used when the MGU-K delivers more than 150 kW, in order to limit abrupt acceleration bursts.

The most effective change, however, is that the maximum output will now be variable. In SLM zones, the activation of the active aero package ensures that the cars can reach their 350 kW platform. In corners, the cars will now be limited to 250 kW.

This is intended to ensure two things: firstly, drivers are more equally matched in terms of deliverable energy in aerodynamically critical zones on the track, and secondly, the output can be distributed somewhat more evenly over the lap.

Even if there are places where teams deliberately do not deliver energy, as the Esses in Suzuka have shown, the rules for this are quite complex. Elsewhere, there are regulations for power-limited phases around the track, and engineers create maps based on these to determine their power output.

This is similar in some ways to the previous rules, but is more emphasized because the electrical systems gain more weight thanks to their higher performance.

Formula 1 wanted to maintain the nominal 50:50 split between internal combustion engine and electric drive, which is why the nominal values were retained (even if it’s not really 50:50), with the full 350 kW power of the MGU-K only being used sporadically.

Adjustments also for wet races and at the start

In addition, there are changes for wet races. Tyre blanket temperatures for intermediates will be increased, and there are also plans to limit energy output in wet conditions to reduce the risk of drivers losing control due to the high torque of the electrical systems.

A range of approximately 200 to 250 kW is expected, without the possibility of activating boost or overtake mode on the steering wheel. In addition, the rear lights will be revised to improve visibility for following drivers.

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Formula 1 will also test a new system in Miami to alleviate concerns about slow and stalled cars at the start of the race. This includes what the FIA calls a “low-power start detection system” which intervenes if it detects that a driver is slow to get away after releasing the clutch.

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The MGU-K is used as a safety measure to ensure that the driver achieves at least a minimum level of acceleration, so that the drivers behind do not suddenly have to swerve.

The energy level is kept low so that no performance advantage is created, and the drivers behind are informed about slow-starting cars in front of them via taillight signals.

It is important that this will not yet be implemented in the race in Miami. Formula 1 will put the system through its paces in practice and then evaluate the resulting data.

Are these changes really enough?

With the announced changes, there is inevitably a certain “try and observe”, because Formula 1 is basically reacting ad hoc to new scenarios. This is understandable, because since there is no possibility for test races, it was clear that the first races in 2026 would be a stress test for the new rules.

It is still difficult to say whether the changes will be sufficient. The reduction of the recuperation limit by at least one megajoule per lap in qualifying helps somewhat, but most of the difference is likely to be offset by the changed super-clipping rules.

The idea of switching to a 350 kW recharge phase was explored in winter testing, especially by McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who believed it would massively reduce the problem of lift-and-coast in corners. Apparently, Formula 1 stakeholders now agree.

The changes for the races, to reduce concerns about different approach speeds, apply to both the upper and lower ends of the output spectrum. The fact that the boost is only allowed when a driver is already delivering 150 kW ensures that it is less likely to be used in problematic sections of the track.

In addition, there are the 250 kW zones around the track. This should lead to the boost button being embedded in the larger acceleration zones, where the rest of the field is already delivering power anyway.

For now, this might be the best we can get, and we will re-evaluate the impact of the changes after the next races. As long as Formula 1 adheres to the idea of a 50:50 power split, there will be limitations on what changes are possible.

Limiting the MGU-K to 250 kW continuously might be the most sensible option to smooth out energy management and reduce the risk of “overspeed”. But that is unlikely to happen, even if the 350 kW were returned in certain situations as a kind of “push-to-pass”.

What consequences the adjustments have

The knock-on effects must also be considered. Redefining the parameters of powertrain use also changes the load cycle of the components, which could take them out of the operating window for which they were developed.

The higher super-clipping rate is unlikely to have too much impact, but it extends the phases in which the crankshaft is loaded with “reverse” maximum power.

Furthermore, while reducing the recuperation limit in qualifying can mitigate lift-and-coast and super-clipping, it also means that drivers will have less battery energy available at the end.

“As for a more natural driving behaviour, I’m not sure if the reduction of the overall charging limit has a significant impact on that,” says Hoagy Nidd, Head of Vehicle Performance at Haas.

“However, it is obvious that a reduction in recovered energy also leads to a reduction in deployed energy. This means that you can recover a larger portion of the energy needed when braking or partially accelerating out of corners.”

“This means: if you reach your energy target under more normal driving conditions, you no longer have to change your behaviour so much to get the last megajoule out,” explains Nidd.

“So you don’t have to start with lift-and-coast, you don’t have to start with super-clipping, you don’t have to make drivers drive with partial throttle at the corner exit just to avoid drawing too much energy at one point. But it’s just that you’re kind of introducing another problem to solve another.”

“We already have a fairly low-energy formula. And if you reduce that even further, it might mean even more clipping and less time for the cars to go as fast as they actually could,” he warns.

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