RacingFormula 1’s new 2026 rules have already done two very different things at once. They have more than doubled overtakes through the first three races, and they have also forced the FIA into urgent talks after a heavy crash for Oliver Bearman at Suzuka.
That split defines the start of the season. Formula 1 is sticking with the new direction because the numbers are moving the right way for racing and for the audience. But after Japan, the governing body is under pressure to fix safety risks and a qualifying format that several drivers say no longer rewards attacking the limit.
The racing itself has changed fast. Australia produced 39 overtakes, up from 17 in 2025. China had 71, up from 31. Japan had 43, up from 15. The early laps have become less settled too, with more position changes instead of races locking into place at turn one. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes driver, welcomed that in comments cited by the article: “That’s how a race should be: the battle of overtaking and being overtaken should continue, and it shouldn’t end with a single overtake.”
Formula One Management has no intention of stepping in with what the article described as “drastic measures to fundamentally reshape Formula 1.” Its case is simple: the audience is growing. Attendance rose from 465,498 to 483,934 in Australia, from 220,000 to 230,000 in China, and from 266,000 to 315,000 in Japan. According to the article, combined race-and-qualifying TV audiences across the top 14 key markets also climbed by 26% in Australia, 32% in China and 19% in Japan.
That helps explain why F1 wants refinement, not a reset. The series believes the current rules are giving fans more visible battles, even if some in the paddock dislike the way those battles are happening.
Most of that criticism centers on energy management, especially over one lap. Drivers say they are increasingly following the power unit’s logic instead of pushing flat-out. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin driver, said in comments cited by the article: “High-speed corners are charging points. You slow down there to recover energy, and then use it on the straight.” Charles Leclerc, Ferrari driver, described the trade-off in comments cited by the article: “If you go beyond the limit even a little, it affects the energy and you end up paying the bill. It’s a shame that consistency, not courage, is what gets rewarded.”
The bigger issue is safety. According to the article, speed differences caused by uneven power deployment can reach 50 km/h. In Japan, Bearman approached another car at 308 km/h while that car was running at about 250 km/h without power. Bearman went off track trying to avoid it, spun and hit the barrier. The impact measured 50G, and the article said he escaped with minor injuries.
That incident pushed the FIA into technical discussions straight after Suzuka. The focus, according to the article, is on short-term changes to energy management and software, not a wholesale rewrite of the rules. The priorities are safety and making qualifying competitive again. Oscar Piastri, McLaren driver, said in comments cited by the article: “I understood this could happen. There are many things that need improvement, and safety needs to be reviewed immediately.” Andrea Stella, McLaren team principal, said in comments cited by the article: “Not a surprise. It was a problem we pointed out already at the test stage. In terms of safety, there is a responsibility to take action immediately.”