Martin Brundle has urged the FIA to remove self-learning elements and make 2026 power delivery proportional and linear to the throttle. His call followed Ollie Bearman’s high-speed crash at Suzuka and growing driver complaints about unpredictable battery deployment. Brundle said the current approach creates risk and skews racing outcomes. He pointed to Bearman closing on Franco Colapinto, who was harvesting energy, before sliding onto the grass and hitting the barriers at the Suzuka Circuit. He defended Colapinto and said the clash showed how surprising power behavior can catch drivers out.
Drivers have raised similar worries about how passes unfold when battery usage triggers in ways they cannot predict. Brundle cited on-track battles such as Lando Norris against Lewis Hamilton to show a yo-yo effect. The car behind can get a burst of electrical power at one moment, then lose it at the next. The system can then give the car ahead a surge. That can flip an overtake or make it look artificial. It can also unsettle the car mid-corner or on exit when the software chooses to deploy or save energy without driver command.
The technical backdrop is a larger electrical share in the power unit and a battery that can drain fast under race loads. Current rules include automatic deployment of the MGU-K in set conditions. One example is a 200 kW release when the driver goes back on the throttle after dropping below 98 percent. That can burn energy at the wrong time, such as at corner exits when a driver is lining up a pass. When the pack reaches a straight, the battery may be low. The attacker then loses momentum, while the car ahead may get energy back and pull clear. This pattern can break the flow of racing and leave drivers exposed through no fault of their own.
Brundle says the fix is simple to define. Remove self-learning systems that decide how and when to use energy. Map power delivery so it is linear and proportional to the throttle. Let drivers drive the car alone. He argued this would cut surprises in high-speed zones, reduce odd slingshot effects, and make overtakes reflect driver inputs rather than software choices.
He warned the FIA faces pressure to act before the calendar moves to venues like Miami. Drivers are raising concerns through the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. The issue blends safety and sporting fairness. Brundle wants clarity that the 2026 package will not repeat the current patterns. He says the governing body must reset the rules around deployment and harvesting so the car’s behavior matches what the driver asks for, every time.