FORMULA One have confirmed alterations to their 2026 season regulations after concerns over driver safety and competition.
A meeting was held on Monday between team bosses and the FIA governing body, who agreed to several changes which are ready to be implemented at the upcoming Grand Prix in Miami this weekend.
This includes changes to energy harvesting and deployment limits in qualifying, with the aim of these changes to allow drivers to push flat out and reduce the amount of lifting and coasting they must do.
Similar regulations have been introduced for the races, with the limits of boosts and power in corners to help improve driver safety. This also includes changes to race starts, ensuring drivers who struggle to accelerate off the grid are not a hazard to those cars around them, a sight we have seen during all of the opening races this season.
One of the biggest influences in these changes was Haas Driver Ollie Bearman’s big crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he went flying into the barrier after trying to dodge Franco Colapinto’s much slower Alpine car.
Drivers have had many complaints with the regulations this season, including Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen who has even questioned his future in the sport after the start to this campaign. Although, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has been a lot more complimentary, claiming he has never had more fun racing in the sport.
A statement from the FIA read: “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.
Discussions around potential adjustments were based on data gathered from the first three events of the 2026 season.”
