Formula 1’s first three races under its new regulations have shown up a few problems – some expected, others less so..
However the cancellation of two rounds of the world championship means the series has an unexpected five-week break to make changes to its new formula.
How radical does it need to be? Have the opening rounds of the world championship revealed a format which is fine as it is, or that drastic change is urgently needed, or something in between?
Several objections have been raised to the new regulations. Which – if any – do you share? Join in this weekend’s debate below.
Dangerously high closing speeds between cars
Although Formula 1 drivers had long voiced concerns over the potential dangers created by the high speed differences between cars under the new rules, it wasn’t until Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka that their warnings were taken seriously. In a statement after the race the FIA acknowledged the difference in speed between Bearman’s Haas and Franco Colapinto’s Alpine had contributed to the potentially serious crash at Spoon curve.
Now F1 has seen the potential consequences of failing to address this problem, the need to act is arguably more pressing. At the same time, it may take the view that the same applies to the drivers, who may become more circumspect when defending and attacking.
Overtaking is too easy, frequent and meaningless
There’s no doubt the 2026 season has seen more changes of position between drivers – but is the action authentic? The spectacle has divided those who deride it as “yo-yo racing” and those who insist it’s as good as the real thing.
Which passes are down to driver skill? Which are happening because of differences in their energy deployment? And which are due to ‘Overtake mode’ – 2026’s answer to DRS? Whether or not this is a problem which needs fixing will depend on your perception of the racing so far.
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F1’s greatest corners have been ruined
The most significant change to the driving challenge as a result of the 2026 regulations has clearly come in qualifying. In order to optimise their energy use across a single flying lap, teams have found the best solution involved allowing the car to decelerate as they approach the fastest corners on the track, cutting their speed by as much as 50kph.
While some warned about this very scenario years ago, others dismissed it as a possibility. The warnings were justified, however, by the spectacle of drivers backing off long before some of F1’s most challenging corners, most notably at Suzuka a week ago.
Drivers are ‘punished’ for gaining time in corners in qualifying
One of the more bizarre side effects of the new regulations is also apparent in qualifying. As several drivers have pointed out, one of the quirks of the rules means that the more successfully drivers tackle corners in qualifying, the less competitive their lap time is.
Charles Leclerc is among those who has been most frustrated by this aspect of the rules, pointing out that when he carried more speed through corners in Shanghai and Suzuka, the power available to him on the straight reduced, and he found himself worse off.
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I say
When F1’s new regulations for 2026 was proposed I was sceptical about some of the criticisms which were put forward. The possibility cars might slow down drastically on the straights due to the lack of energy seemed exaggerated.
Sadly, over the three races so far, the doubters have been proved overwhelmingly right. I’m astonished F1 has allowed such obviously dangerous speed differences to develop, I’m bored by endless inconsequential position swaps which seemingly have nothing to do with skill, and saddened to see some of the best racing drivers in the world being prevented from exploring the limits of their cars’ grip in qualifying.
Not every aspect of the 2026 rules is negative: the smaller, lighter cars are absolutely a change for the better. But the many negatives smother the few positives.
Hopefully the situation will improve as F1 tackles a broader range of circuits and teams gain more knowledge of how to improve the performance of their cars. That said, I dread to think how pathetic F1 will look on great tracks like Silverstone, Spa and Monza.
For me, all four points above require urgent attention, though the safety issue obviously has to take priority. F1 must be bold: it took four years to come up with this dog’s breakfast, now is no time to worry about ‘knee-jerk’ rules changes.
You say
What changes – if any – do you most want to see in time for the next race in Miami? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
What aspects of Formula 1’s 2026 rules need to be improved?
- None of the above (1%)
- Qualifying: Drivers lose power after taking corners more quickly (27%)
- Qualifying: Cars forced to slow down before fast corners (28%)
- Races: Overtaking too easy, frequent and inconsequential (18%)
- Races: Excessive closing speeds between cars (26%)
Total Voters: 46
NB. A fault with this poll originally prevented more than one option being selected. This has been fixed – those who submitted their votes before then will have to submit their choices again
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