F1 tweaks after China GP

Formula One’s teams, engine makers and governing body agreed targeted changes to the 2026 rules on April 20, with the package set to start at the Miami Grand Prix. (fia.com) The changes follow data from the first three races in Australia, China and Japan, plus weeks of talks between the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, technical staff and drivers. (formula1.com) The biggest fix is about battery use. Formula One cut the maximum recharge in qualifying from 8 megajoules to 7 megajoules and raised peak “superclip” power to 350 kilowatts from 250, aiming to reduce the time drivers spend lifting off to harvest energy. (fia.com) In race trim, the boost is now capped at an extra 150 kilowatts, while MGU-K deployment stays at 350 kilowatts in key acceleration zones and drops to 250 kilowatts elsewhere on the lap. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile said that is meant to cut sudden closing-speed differences without removing overtaking zones. (formula1.com) Formula One also expanded the number of races that can use lower energy limits from eight to 12, so the rules can better fit different circuit layouts. Miami will also test a new race-start system that automatically adds electric drive if a car launches abnormally slowly and triggers warning lights for drivers behind. (fia.com) The argument started because the 2026 cars rely much more heavily on electrical energy, with power units split roughly 50-50 between electric and combustion sources. Drivers and teams said that made some laps look less like flat-out racing and more like battery management. (channelnewsasia.com) Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said before Monday’s meeting that Formula One should act “with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat,” and said the goal was to improve racing and safety without overcorrecting after only three rounds. (channelnewsasia.com) Max Verstappen took the opposite line after the Chinese Grand Prix in March, calling the new style of racing “a joke” and saying the rules were “fundamentally flawed.” His criticism became part of a broader push from drivers for changes before Miami. (sports.yahoo.com) The package was approved unanimously, which matters in a season when Mercedes has won the first three races and rival teams have been wary of any rewrite that could shift the competitive order overnight. (channelnewsasia.com) Miami is now the first track where Formula One will find out whether smaller battery-management demands produce the flatter-out laps drivers asked for, or whether the debate over the 2026 formula simply moves to the next race weekend. (motorsport.com)