Haas boss Ayao Komatsu is urging calm as F1 weighs up potential tweaks to the 2026 regulations after just three races.
Initial talks have taken place over potential adjustments to the rules, with two more rounds of meetings due to take place in April.
Ayao Komatsu calls for calm over F1 2026 rule tweaks
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The mixed response to the 2026 regulations so far has seen calls from the drivers to adjust the overall driving experience, with team bosses having highlighted the need to push flat-out in qualifying as one area for potential changes.
The first meeting among the teams, FOM, and the FIA took place on April 9, with the governing body confirming “constructive dialogue on difficult topics” took place, with further talks to come before Formula 1 returns in Miami.
Komatsu explained that a balance needs to be maintained, given the switch to a near 50-50 split in electrical and internal combustion power, pointing to the Chinese Grand Prix as a “very, very good” example of how races could look under the new rules.
With the two other rounds so far having come at circuits where energy recovery is at a premium, the Haas team boss hopes to see a wider data set gathered on how the power units work at a range of circuits before jumping to too many conclusions.
He added the sporting spectacle is “far from broken” and, despite the teams naturally wanting to get the better of one another on track, he added the teams are working in the wider interests of the sport to look over the data and make any tweaks as required.
“Those small adjustments can make actually make a big impact in terms of safety as well as the sporting spectacle, right? So I think we need to do those things first,” Komatsu said regarding April talks over potential regulation tweaks.
“Then again, we need to see over several different circuit because, again, we’ve done Bahrain testing and then Melbourne, which is an energy-starved circuit. Shanghai, much easier to recover energy and [Suzuka], again, an energy-starved circuit.
“Three different races, we saw again, three very different spectacles, I think.
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“Melbourne for me was a bit too easy to overtake. Shanghai was very, very good, and [Suzuka] was actually quite difficult to overtake, right?
“We’ve got to create this data set and the variation, because there’s so many variables at this minute, so I think we should make initially a few or several minor adjustments, and then let’s see the sensitivity of that one, see how the safety and then the spectacle improves again over the next set of races, and then we could take a decision.
“But I’m sure by summer, we come to midway through or the halfway point this season, the picture becomes clearer if we need to make a large change for next year.
“But honestly, [the] show’s far from broken, right? The China race, I thought was really, really good, you know? So I don’t think we should lose sight of that, as you have to stay calm, and then take it step by step.
“The last thing we want is to do some kneejerk reaction based on one data sample, and then make changes, then realise that [over] the next five races, there are unintended consequences. Then you have to change it again, so we don’t want to do that.
“I think it’s good that everyone stays calm and, honestly, the good thing is not a single person is pushing for their own selfishness, if you like, the sporting [advantage], we’re all working together to make this sport better.”
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