Constantly managing the electrical part of the power unit, saving tires and balancing the ideal aerodynamic load became a kind of juggling act that the new F1 regulations imposed on drivers this season. In practice, the excess of variables has pushed cars away from the limit and contributed to races that are more controlled than contested.
“We want the drivers to be accelerating as much as possible, especially in qualifying, and that’s not happening,” he told Sheet Williams boss James Vowles.
For the Brit, after the three GPs that marked the start of the season — Australia, China and Japan — it is possible to highlight important advances, especially in the quality of the races, but also flaws that require immediate adjustments.
“It’s good to see that we now have real racing. The first three races were actually really good. If you look at last year, at the end of the season, everyone was just following each other with very close performance,” explains Vowles.
This year, the electrical part now accounts for around 50% of the total power of hybrid engines, while the remainder continues to come from combustion. The new configuration forces drivers to adopt different strategies throughout the lap to recharge their batteries. When the electrical charge approaches the end, the car loses a lot of power and speed.
“Aerodynamic regulations are allowing cars to be closer than before, and the way we are optimizing electrical power is allowing overtaking. They are not easy overtakes, they are a bit unpredictable, but they generate good competition,” said the Williams boss.
Throughout the first stages of the calendar, it was common to see “yo-yo” overtaking, where the drivers took turns constantly changing positions, caused by the variation in charge in the batteries.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has described the 2026 F1 cars as “FE on steroids”. Lando Norris, current champion, also disapproved of the new regulations and said that the single-seater went from “best in history” to “probably worst”.
The main problem identified is in the energy system. At times, especially on the straights, drivers need to reduce speed to recharge their electrical energy, which compromises performance and driving logic.
“Some overtaking can be artificial, but not all. Maneuvers like overtaking on the outside in corner number one in Shanghai are real and require skill. Easy overtaking on the straight is not ideal. We want to maintain balance: cars close, but overtaking that requires courage and skill”, says Vowles.
The FIA (International Automobile Federation) announced changes to the F1 regulations in 2026 last Monday (20). The changes are divided into four points: starts, classifications, safety during races and competitions in the rain
According to Vowles, F1, FIA and teams discussed around 55 different proposals in meetings on the 15th, 16th and 20th of this month. The objective is to find solutions this season, without waiting for long cycles of change.
Among the alternatives analyzed are the reduction of electrical power, the increase of combustion engine power or a new balance between the two systems. They all seek to solve the same problem, by preventing cars from needing to slow down at times when they should be at maximum speed.
For him, the system has become excessively complicated, to the point that it is not always understood by the pilots themselves. The idea is to make the car’s behavior more direct: when the driver demands it, the car must deliver good performance.
According to the FIA, changes were adopted to prevent one car from approaching another too quickly, which could cause accidents, and to prevent sudden differences in performance between vehicles. Furthermore, the use of extra power was limited to keep the contest more balanced.
Improvements aimed at safety on wet runways were also implemented to increase pilots’ visibility in these conditions. A new system was developed to reduce the risk of collisions when a car starts slower and another follows at a higher speed — it will be tested in Miami and officially adopted only after technical analysis.
“We need to find a solution that works on all circuits, not just one,” says Vowles.
The next stage of the season takes place in Miami, in the United States. The schedule includes a sprint race – a shorter race held on Saturday (2), at 1pm (Brasília time) –, in addition to the Grand Prix, Sunday (3), at 5pm (Brasília time). The championship continues with competitions in Canada, on the 23rd and 24th of May. In total, there are 22 races planned this year.
