Formula 1 may have to delay the introduction of some of the planned changes to its cars, according to Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane.
A major meeting is taking place today to determine how the championship will respond to criticism of the new technical regulations it introduced for the 2026 season.
Drivers expressed concerns over the dangers caused by high closing speeds between cars, as illustrated by Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka. Many have also warned the challenge of qualifying has lessened because the cars are forced to slow before high-speed corners. The quality of the racing remains a divisive subject, with some revelling in the frequency of overtaking moves and others deriding what they call “yo-yo racing”.
The outcome of today’s meeting will be put to an electronic vote of the FIA World Motor Sports Council for introduction to F1. But Permane pointed out F1 will have little opportunity to evaluate them in practice sessions as the next two rounds of the championship, in Miami and Canada, are both sprint events.
Feature: Verstappen loathes F1’s new generation of cars – but what do his rivals reckon?He suggested F1’s planned changes may have to be introduced over multiple rounds. “There’s many suggestions that have been put forward,” he told Racer. “I think that we have a particularly tough time with Miami being a sprint [event] because there’s really little time to test anything.”
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix, which were due to take place on the previous two weekends, were to be regular race events with three practice sessions instead of the single one used at sprint rounds. F1 has not arranged replacement rounds or scheduled additional track time ahead of its return to racing in Miami next week.
“It may well be that we try some of the [changes] that are, let’s say, a little bit simpler and less risky [are introduced] in Miami, and then we try some more in Montreal, and then of course we go to Monaco where it’s almost impossible to test anything. So Barcelona might be the first time when we try some of the more, let’s say, challenging ones.”
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Some F1 drivers have been particularly vocal on the issue of safety after Bearman’s crash. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said they had “provided invaluable input” to the discussions.
Poll: Should F1 change tracks or racing guidelines to tackle dangers in 2026 rules?“There has been constructive and collaborative discussion between the FIA and the Formula 1 drivers ahead of tomorrow’s CEOs and team principals meeting to discuss potential changes to the 2026 regulations,” he said in a social media post on Sunday.
“The drivers provided invaluable input on adjustments which they feel should be made, particularly in the areas of energy management to ensure safe, fair and competitive racing.
“The FIA has also held a series of meetings over the past few weeks with technical representatives from the teams, power unit manufacturers, and FOM to discuss proposed changes. Safety and the best interests of the sport are the main focus of these discussions.”
F1 activity after the Japanese Grand Prix
April 5th: No event
April 12th: No event
April 19th: No event
April 21st: No event
May 3rd: Miami Grand Prix (sprint event)
May 10th: No event
May 17th: No event
May 24th: Canadian Grand Prix (sprint event)
May 31st: No event
June 7th: Monaco Grand Prix (traditional event)
June 14th: Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (traditional event)
Full schedule: 2026 F1 calendar
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