The FIA has issued a statement to confirm a crucial change to qualifying at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Ahead of media day at Suzuka, the motorsport governing body reduced the maximum permitted energy recharge per lap during the grid-setting session from 9.0MJ to 8.0MJ.

Like Melbourne’s Albert Park, which opened the 2026 F1 season, the circuit in Japan is what is known as an energy-starved track, meaning there is a significant requirement to harvest across a lap.

This amendment to the rules for the weekend should help reduce the need for excessive lift and coast or super clipping tactics during qualifying, with the alteration coming in consultation with the teams and power unit providers.

The FIA said: “Following discussions between the FIA, F1 teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, a minor adjustment to the energy management parameters for Qualifying at the Japanese GP has been agreed with the unanimous support of all Power Unit Manufacturers.

“To ensure that the intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained, the maximum permitted energy recharge for Qualifying this weekend has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ.

“This adjustment reflects feedback from drivers and teams, who have emphasised the importance of maintaining Qualifying as a performance challenge. 

“The FIA notes that the first events under the 2026 Regulations have been operationally successful, and this targeted refinement is part of the normal process of optimisation as the new regulatory framework is further validated in real-world conditions.

“The FIA, together with F1 teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, continues to embrace evolutions to energy management, with further discussions scheduled in the coming weeks.”

Previously, it was decided that no wholesale changes would be made to the regulations ahead of the third round of the campaign.

That is still the case, with the above alteration being only applicable to the parameters of the qualifying session at Suzuka.