F1 to usher in rule changes at Miami race after engine concerns

Formula One teams and stakeholders agreed unanimously on Monday to engine rule tweaks aimed at improving the racing and driver safety from the next race in Miami on May 3.

The sport this season started a new era, with the hybrid power units now split roughly 50-50 between electric and combustion power.

Nigel Mansell said he had “total sympathy” with Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen in slamming Formula One’s new rules era but expects the governing FIA to make changes to get back to “proper racing”. Red Bull’s Verstappen has been outspoken against the sacrifice of flat-out speed for energy management, calling the situation “fundamentally flawed”, while McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris has branded the racing “artificial”. Mansell, the 1992 world champion with Williams who was nicknamed “Il Leone” by Ferrari fans for his raw speed and big-hearted bravery, told Reuters on Tuesday that he recognised their frustrations. “I’ve got to echo and support the drivers 100%,” he said at an appearance to publicise a pop-up hotel, complete with pool and palm trees, for his home British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July. “It’s very disappointing to have the stallion of all racing cars, Formula One, appearing in the first races, but they’re not actually racing at times. That’s very alien to the fans, certainly alien to a race car driver who’s trying to input their special skills into it. Let Formula One be Formula One as it has been. It just needs tweaking. As long as they tweak it enough, happy days “And I have total sympathy with Max. Would I have voiced it as strong as he has? Perhaps not ... but you know, what Lando says is perfect. What all the others have said is true. And I think the powers that be, they’re listening.” Series of technical meetings before next race Formula One’s governing body held an initial meeting of technical experts last Thursday to discuss possible changes to the regulations after the first three races, with several more sessions to come before the next race in Miami on May 3. The new power units, split roughly 50-50 between electric and combustion power, have brought new challenges with drivers having to ease off the throttle early and coast into high-speed corners so the combustion engine can recharge the battery. The FIA has scheduled a sporting regulations meeting on Wednesday with another technical session on Thursday this week. There will then be a “high-level meeting with representation from all stakeholders” on April 20 to seek a consensus on preferred options put forward. Mansell hoped the cars would soon again be driven “as they should be” and warned it would be a huge mistake if they don’t tweak it enough. “Hopefully, they will tweak it enough [so] that what we’ve been witnessing in the first couple of races won’t be carried forward into the next races,” he said. The Briton also tipped seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to come back strong after finally stepping onto the podium with Ferrari after a barren 2025 and at the age of 41. “I’m sorry, I’m biased about Lewis. I think he’s fantastic; what he’s achieved is monumental,” said the 72-year-old. “If he’s given the goods to do the job, I still think he can win. And I think he has all the capabilities to win another world championship, which will be epic. “I think you’ll see he’s got fire in his belly more now than ever. I think Ferrari could do extremely well this year once everyone stops coasting all the time and we can have proper racing again. “Let Formula One be Formula One as it has been. It just needs tweaking. As long as they tweak it enough, happy days.” Reuters

Some drivers have complained over the first three races about having to “lift and coast” into high-speed corners so that the combustion engine can recharge the battery, and have also aired safety concerns regarding the start and speed differentials during the race.

They have also had to contend with “super-clipping”, where the power unit automatically diverts energy from the engine to the battery, slowing down the car even if the driver is flat on the throttle. As a result, Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen has questioned his future in the sport.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that an online meeting with the 11 team bosses, power unit CEOs and Formula One had agreed on a number of in-season “refinements” that would now be put to a virtual vote.

“The proposals agreed today ... will be implemented from Miami, apart from the race start changes that will be tested in Miami and adopted following feedback and analysis,” it said.

Oscar Piastri, like anyone else on the Formula One grid, understands how quickly dominance can fade. He is approaching his unexpected early season furlough with confidence that McLaren can compete with Mercedes when racing resumes. The Australian had a calamitous start to the season, crashing on his way to the grid in his home Grand Prix in Melbourne and then failing to start in China because of an electrical issue with his car. In round 3 in Japan, however, Piastri finished second behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, providing fans with a timely reminder of the quality that had him 34 points clear in the title race after 15 rounds last season. The crisis in the Middle East has forced the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix off the schedule for now, leaving the Formula One caravan grounded for the best part of a month until racing resumes in Miami in early May. Piastri, who turned 25 on Monday, views the pause in the season as an opportunity for his McLaren team to get to work figuring out how to close the gap with Mercedes, who have won all three grands prix and the China sprint so far this year. “Obviously the off-season this year was very short so it’s a nice little window for everyone to get some good training in,” he said in a video posted on social media this week. We did everything right this weekend and we were beaten by 15 seconds, so we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill. I’m confident we can get there — but we’ve got some work to do “More time to prepare, basically. I think we’ve learnt a lot in the first few races and plenty more to learn, so just give us more time to analyse stuff, sit down, digest it and try and come back stronger for Miami.” Piastri, who is in his third season in Formula One, was on Wednesday named Australia’s top-earning sportsperson by the Sydney Morning Herald with an estimated income of between A$57m and A$59m (R661m-R684m). His marketability soared last year when he won seven of the first 15 races in the then-dominant McLaren and threatened to end Australia’s long wait for a world champion, which enters its 46th year this season. In the end, the wins stopped coming, and his teammate Lando Norris took the crown, with Max Verstappen’s late season surge for Red Bull relegating the Australian to third in the final standings. It was a humbling experience for Piastri, but one he has clearly learnt from as McLaren look to close the clear performance gap Mercedes have opened up under the new regulations this season. “We know from last year that even when you have the best car you need to operate it at an incredibly high level,” he said after holding off the Mercedes of George Russell at times in his run to the Suzuka podium. “I think it’s interesting to see when someone else has the fastest car that it’s not that straightforward. I think the fact that I could keep George behind for so long was encouraging, but we’re under no illusion. “We did everything right this weekend and we were beaten by 15 seconds, so we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill. I’m confident we can get there — but we’ve got some work to do.” Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. Reuters

The FIA said energy management parameters would be adjusted for qualifying, a key area of concern, with a reduction in maximum permitted recharge from eight megajoules to seven to encourage more consistent flat-out driving, and peak “superclip” power increased from 250kW to 350kW to reduce the time spent recharging.

In the race, measures were introduced to reduce excessive closing speeds and limit sudden performance differentials, with the maximum power available through boost capped at an additional 150kW.

A new system has been developed and will be trialled to mitigate the risks of a slow-starting car being struck by a faster one close behind, as well as measures to improve safety and visibility in wet conditions.

“These are sensible changes, and the teams, FIA and Formula One, have done good work over the past few weeks to agree to them,” said Williams boss James Vowles on social media.

“F1 has seen some great racing so far this year, but it is right that we always look at ways to keep improving.”

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who had declared himself “beyond frustrated” after qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, said he was considering his future in the sport after finishing eighth in Sunday’s race at Suzuka. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Red ‌Bull driver said his lack of enjoyment at driving the new generation of cars was making him question whether racing in the sport was still worth it. “I’m thinking about everything inside this paddock,” he said in the interview. “Privately I’m very happy. “You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. And then you think: Is it worth it?” Verstappen has been an outspoken critic of Formula One’s new regulations and engine era. He has repeatedly said his dissatisfaction doesn’t stem from Red Bull’s poor form but due to the new rules placing more emphasis on energy management than flat-out racing. Sunday was the last race until May, ⁠with April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds called off due to conflict in the Gulf. Verstappen, who is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2028, said he had many pursuits beyond Formula One to keep him engaged. The Dutchman recently competed in a sports car race at German track Nuerburgring’s fearsome Nordschleife layout in preparation for the 24 Hours of Nuerburgring race in May. He also drove a Japanese GT car at Japan’s Fuji racetrack ahead of the weekend in Suzuka. “But it’s a bit sad that we’re even talking about this. It is what it is. You don’t need to feel sorry for me. I’ll be fine,” he said. Verstappen had won the past four races from pole in Japan, but it would have taken a major upset for that streak to continue ‌in 2026, ⁠with sixth in the Australian season-opener in Melbourne still his best result of the campaign. The 28-year-old has also made headlines for a clash with a British reporter, an incident that also raised questions about his general state of mind after losing his title last season to McLaren’s Lando Norris. Formula One stakeholders are set to meet in the five-week break between Japan and the next race in Miami to take stock of the new rules and consider tweaks. Verstappen, one of the sport’s biggest stars, told BBC Radio 5 Live the sport’s bosses “know what to do” to make sure he stays. — Abhishek Takle Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world. Reuters

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had earlier told reporters changes needed to be made “with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat” and cautioned against bad-mouthing the sport in public.

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