F1 could stagger introduction of 2026 rules tweaks

Formula 1 is increasingly likely to step back from introducing a single stage rules revamp for the Miami Grand Prix, and may even wait until June's race at Barcelona before committing to the biggest tweaks.

Discussions are ongoing between the FIA and teams about changes to the 2026 regulations aimed at resolving two problem areas that emerged over the first events of the season.

The chief one is to address safety concerns surrounding the huge closing speeds of cars which contributed to Ollie Bearman's huge crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Efforts are also underway to improve qualifying, with drivers and fans not happy about the spectacle and challenge of the shoot-out for grid positions having been marred by too much energy management.

Further meetings of sporting and technical chiefs are scheduled for this week, while team bosses are due to get together next Monday to vote on proposals for rules modifications to come into play for when the season resumes in Miami at the start of May.

While it had previously been suggested that F1 would be decisive and commit to making just a single change to the rules rather than risk further knee-jerk reactions, there are growing indications that it may opt for a different plan.

Last week, the FIA's single seater director Nikolas Tombazis suggested that one outcome could be for a two-stage process of implementation.

Tombazis told The Guardian: "We may decide that we want to have a phase one and a phase two and maybe give phase two a bit more time for some tweaks to be done by the manufacturers."

Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane has now suggested that a more sensible route would be to stretch things out over a longer period – especially because of the way that the calendar will shake out.

With the next two events in Miami and Montreal featuring sprints, there will be limited practice sessions to evaluate any major new regulations.

Then, with the following race in Monaco not being an ideal place to try new things, it therefore could make sense to wait until the next grand prix after that at Barcelona, which has a normal timetable of practice, in mid-June for a proper evaluation.

Reflecting on the multi-phase idea, Permane said: "I think that we will have a particularly tough time going to Miami with it being a sprint, because there's really little time to test anything.

"So it may well be that we try some of the ones that are, let's say, a little bit simpler and less risky in Miami, and then we try some more in Montreal.

"Then we go to Monaco, where it's almost impossible to test anything. So Barcelona might be the first time where we try some of the more challenging ones.

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily two upgrades. I would say we should keep open minded. And maybe this is a continuous thing."

Risk of unintended consequences

Permane, who is a veteran of F1 with more than 30 years of experience in grand prix racing, suggests that while there are a host of sensible ideas on the table to improve the 2026 regulations, picking the right options is not so straightforward.

He is clear that F1 has to be mindful of potential unintended consequences, even with safety changes.

"We need to be careful when we do that, that we are not taking away too much of the spectacle," he explained.

"One way to reduce closing speeds is, of course, to remove things like the boost, the overtake boost, and reduce things like the extra energy that's available to the drivers when they're within a second of the car in front.

"That will no doubt reduce those closing speeds, but it will also likely reduce overtaking as well. So we just need to be careful that we strike the right balance there."

Permane also warned of unintended consequences from the push to improve the qualifying spectacle.

"I know people don't like lift and coast, and don't want to see any straight harvesting," he said. "But the way to eliminate that is to give us much less energy, which will make the cars slower."

He added: "I don't think we want to make the cars significantly slower. We certainly don't want to make corners now that are high speed corners, and are really challenging and on the edge, too easy.

"So I think we need to be careful on that. And I know they [the FIA] are being careful on that."