EuroWire, PARIS: The FIA agreed a package of refinements to Formula One’s 2026 regulations on April 20 after an online meeting with team principals, power unit manufacturer chiefs and Formula One Management, with the changes targeted for the Miami Grand Prix weekend. The measures address energy management, race speed differentials, race starts and wet-weather running after issues identified in the opening three events of the season in Australia, China and Japan.
The governing body said the final proposals followed several weeks of consultation with technical representatives and input from drivers, with discussions based on data gathered from the first three rounds. The FIA said the 2026 rules had been developed in close partnership with teams, manufacturers and Formula One Management, and that the latest refinements were intended to improve performance consistency while preserving the core framework of the new regulations already in force this season.
In qualifying, the package cuts maximum permitted recharge from 8 megajoules to 7 megajoules to reduce excessive harvesting and encourage more consistent flat-out driving. Peak superclip power will rise to 350 kilowatts from 250 kilowatts, a move intended to reduce the time spent recharging and ease driver workload on energy management. The number of events where alternative lower energy limits may apply will also increase from eight to 12 to better reflect circuit characteristics.
FIA Targets Miami Rollout
For race conditions, the maximum power available through boost will be capped at an additional 150 kilowatts, or at the car’s current power level at activation if that is higher. MGU-K deployment will remain at 350 kilowatts in key acceleration zones from corner exit to braking point, including overtaking areas, but will be limited to 250 kilowatts elsewhere on the lap. The FIA said those measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities.
The package also includes new safeguards for starts and wet running. A low-power start detection system will identify cars with abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release, triggering automatic MGU-K deployment to ensure a minimum level of acceleration without conferring a sporting advantage. Flashing rear and side warning lights will alert following drivers, while the energy counter will be reset at the start of the formation lap. In wet conditions, intermediate tyre blanket temperatures will rise, maximum ERS deployment will be reduced and rear light signals will be simplified.
New Rules Follow Early Season Data Review
Formula One began its 2026 season under a new hybrid era in which power units are split roughly evenly between electric and combustion sources, increasing the importance of energy deployment and harvesting over a lap. The early rounds prompted concern over lift-and-coast phases into fast corners and super-clipping, in which the power unit diverts energy from the engine to the battery and reduces performance even when the driver remains fully on the throttle. Those issues became central to the review completed this month.
The governing body said the proposals will be put to a World Motor Sport Council e-vote with a view to implementation before the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, while the race-start measures will be tested and analyzed during the Miami weekend from May 1 to May 3. That leaves the first U.S. round of the season as the target point for the first in-season adjustment to Formula One’s new 2026 rule set.