RacingFormula 1 is already moving toward changes to its 2026 rules before Miami, after just three races exposed problems with the new power-unit formula. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Autosport that the FIA, teams, and drivers are working on adjustments, with qualifying and energy management at the center of the talks.
The pressure comes from the new power units’ roughly 50/50 split between electrical power and internal combustion. In Australia and Japan, that left drivers unable to run a full lap at maximum attack without lift-and-coast or super-clipping. Even at full throttle, cars could start slowing while recovering battery energy. Domenicali, speaking as Formula 1 CEO in an interview with Autosport, said he accepts the criticism around those issues. “I accept the criticism related to certain situations that we need to manage, especially with regard to qualifying,” he said. He added: “Qualifying has always been the moment when the driver has to give everything and find the real limits of the car and the driver.”
That is where F1 wants to act first. Domenicali, speaking as Formula 1 CEO in the Autosport interview, said the sport is working “these weeks” with teams and drivers, coordinated by the FIA, to find the right adjustment without losing sight of the wider direction of the rules. “We are managing it in the right way, without panic, with a solid base, being ready to consider different options,” he said.
The safety side has sharpened the debate. According to the source summaries, concerns that drivers were already raising became more urgent after Oliver Bearman’s accident at Suzuka, when he had to avoid a slowing car. The broader complaint is that the energy-saving is now too visible, especially on Saturdays, and cuts against what qualifying is supposed to be.
Domenicali still defended the idea behind the regulations. He said manufacturers pushed for this kind of balance years ago, with electrification carrying much more weight in the package. He also rejected claims that the overtaking created by the current rules is somehow fake. “Some people are saying that overtaking is artificial, but what is artificial? I mean, overtaking is overtaking,” Domenicali, Formula 1 CEO, said in the Autosport interview. He pointed to the turbo era of the 1980s, when drivers also had to manage fuel and performance during races.
The FIA has already started its April meetings with teams. According to the meeting summaries cited by Domenicali in the Autosport interview, discussions on the Sporting Regulations were set for 15 April, the technical side for 16 April, and final decisions for 20 April. Domenicali said he hopes that “before Miami, the FIA will inform us what adjustment will be implemented.”
Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said, in comments reported in the source summaries, that changes could arrive as early as Miami, but the first step may be small. “There will be changes for Miami, but I’m not sure we will see the full package, because the event format makes everyone cautious,” Permane said. Miami is a Sprint weekend, which means only one hour of practice before Sprint qualifying. According to Permane’s comments in the summaries, that makes teams wary of trying bigger measures straight away, so simpler options could be used first before more ambitious changes are properly assessed in Barcelona.