Federação Internacional of Automobilismo (FIA) has announced a package of immediate technical adjustments to the Fórmula 1 regulations, which will come into effect in Grande Prêmio of Miami. The decision comes after an in-depth analysis of the first three stages of the 2026 season, held at Austrália, China and Japão. The central objective is to correct distortions in car performance and raise safety standards on the tracks.
The changes focus on mitigating the artificiality of overtaking and returning the protagonism to the drivers’ talent, especially during qualifying training. Nas initial tests of the year, criticism from competitors and fans intensified due to the excessive need to save energy. The federation is now seeking a balance that preserves technological innovation without sacrificing the sport’s natural competitiveness.
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Ajustes in energy and electrical power recovery
The main point of the technical reform lies in the energy storage and distribution system. The FIA authorized an increase in the power generated by “superclipping” from 250 to 350 KW. Simultaneamente, the maximum recharge ceiling was reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ, a maneuver that aims to change the behavior of cars on high-speed sections.
- Storage power Aumento: from 250 to 350 KW.
- Redução of maximum recharge: from 8MJ to 7MJ.
- Queda in the “foot under” time lost per lap: from four to two seconds.
- Foco in eliminating speed loss on long straights.
- Revisão of the starting protocols to avoid slow cars on the grid.
With these metrics, the expectation is that drivers will no longer need to ease off the accelerator in fast corners to save battery. On circuits like the Suzuka, in the Japão, the cars showed sudden drops in performance after sectors of long acceleration, compromising the technical precision necessary for the ideal lap time. The adjustment attempts to ensure that qualifying returns to being the most physically and mentally demanding moment of the weekend.
Foco on safety and serious collision prevention
Safety became the most urgent pillar for the FIA after critical episodes in the first races. The accident suffered by Oliver Bearman in Suzuka served as a definitive warning for the federation’s commissioners and engineers. At the time, the difference in speed between the cars on the track created a situation of extreme risk, where reflex replaced the planned position dispute.
Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen were active voices against what they called the “Mario Kart” effect, referring to the unstable power fluctuation that made overtaking dangerous. The new rules seek to prevent vehicles from becoming “abnormally slow” at crucial moments, such as starts and restarts. The concern is to prevent a car traveling at more than 200 km/h from encountering an opponent almost stopped in front of it, a situation that almost resulted in a tragedy in the Austrália with the Franco Colapinto and Sergio Perez.
Expectativas for GP performance of Miami
The street circuit in Miami will be the first real laboratory to test whether the dose of adjustments were correct. Embora teams had already warned about the flaws in the simulator more than a year ago, the FIA opted for caution before intervening in the regulations. George Russell, representative of the pilots’ association, confirmed that dialogue with the entity has improved, resulting in the changes announced last Monday.
The effectiveness of the measures in the rain also remains unknown, as dry weather prevailed at the start of the championship. The month-long break in the calendar allowed the factories to analyze the new data, seeking to adapt the Audi and Cadillac systems, the new manufacturers in the category, to the updated scenario. If the changes are successful, the Fórmula 1 could regain its essence of technical precision without losing the technological appeal that defines the 2026 era.