F1 2026 / MIAMI CHANGES THE RULES

Since the 2026 season opened, the paddock has never stopped raising the alarm about the flaws in the new regulations. Qualifying hamstrung by energy management, disastrous starts, dangerous speed differences between cars deploying and cars harvesting: criticism came from every direction, from drivers to engine manufacturers to team principals.

The FIA listened. And after the final April meeting, it responded with a precise, technical list of changes that can be applied immediately. Miami will not just mark the return of competition after a five-week break. It will be the first race under a partly reinvented rulebook.

It had been the paddock's number one request since the start of the season: let drivers finally push flat out in qualifying without having to lift to harvest energy. The FIA has answered with two complementary adjustments that tackle the super clipping problem head on.

Less recharge, fewer constraints

The maximum energy that can be harvested per lap in qualifying drops from 8 MJ to 7 MJ. By reducing the amount of energy the car can store, the need for forced harvesting phases is mechanically reduced. Drivers will be able to extend their attacking phases without finding themselves lifting in places where they should normally be accelerating.

Super clipping: more powerful, therefore shorter

Maximum super clipping power rises from 250 kW to 350 kW. The idea is counter-intuitive but effective: by making super clipping more powerful, it lasts less time to achieve the same result. The duration of these constrained phases, the source of so much driver frustration, is thus reduced to around 2 to 4 seconds per lap, compared with much longer durations before. This measure will also apply in race conditions.

Another qualifying adjustment: the number of rounds that can use lower alternative energy limits rises from 8 to 12 races, allowing better adaptation to the characteristics of the different circuits on the calendar.

In the race, the FIA is tackling two separate problems. On one side, the dangerous speed differences between cars deploying and cars harvesting. On the other, situations where the boost creates sudden power differentials that put drivers fighting wheel to wheel in danger.

Boost capped at 150 kW

The maximum power available through the boost in race conditions is now capped at 150 kW above the power already available at the moment of activation. This measure directly targets situations where activating the boost created sudden and unpredictable speed variations, like the one that nearly caused a serious crash between Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto at the Japanese Grand Prix.

MGU-K: maximum power in the zones that matter

MGU-K deployment stays at 350 kW in the key acceleration zones, meaning from corner exit to the braking point, including overtaking zones. In the other parts of the lap, however, power will be limited to 250 kW. The aim is to preserve overtaking opportunities where they make sense, while reducing excessive approach speeds in the less critical phases.

• Key zones (350 kW): corner exit, overtaking zones, acceleration onto the straights. Where the show happens.
• Other zones (250 kW): corner entry, mid-corner. Lower risk with no impact on racing opportunities.
• Boost (+150 kW max): limits sudden power variations that create unpredictable situations for following drivers.

This is probably the change Max Verstappen and Red Bull were waiting for most. Since the start of the season, the Dutchman had suffered from a recurring lack of power at the exact moment of clutch release. In Australia, in China, in Japan: every time, the same complaint. The battery isn't there. The engine doesn't respond.

The FIA has designed an entirely new system to solve this problem, while making sure the solution does not create an unfair sporting advantage between teams.

The automatic detection system

A new detection device can identify cars showing abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release. When that happens, the MGU-K deploys automatically to guarantee a minimum level of acceleration. The FIA specifies that this deployment aims to reduce the risks linked to a slow start, without introducing any sporting advantage. It is a safety net, not an extra turbo.

This system responds directly to the situation that nearly turned to tragedy at the Australian Grand Prix between Liam Lawson and Colapinto, when a car almost stationary on the line created an extremely dangerous situation.

Rear warning lights

To go with this new system, flashing lights will activate at the rear and on the sides of any car whose MGU-K is deployed in safety mode at the start. Drivers arriving at high speed from behind will thus get a clear visual signal to anticipate a car accelerating more slowly than expected.

Resetting the energy counter

A technical detail that matters: the energy counter will now be reset at the start of the formation lap. This fix aims to eliminate an inconsistency identified in the system, which could put some cars at a disadvantage before the lights even went out.

F1 2026 had also run into trouble in rainy sessions, with unreadable rear lights and too much electric power on a slippery track. The FIA brings three targeted fixes.

Tyre blanket temperatures for the intermediate tyres have been raised in response to driver feedback, to improve grip from the very first metres on a wet track. Maximum ERS power will be reduced in these conditions to limit torque and improve control. And the rear lights have been simplified, with clearer and more consistent visual signals to make the situation easier to read.