In order to understand why starts have become so complicated, it\u2019s important to first understand what has been lost.<\/p>\n
The previous generation of power units \u2013 which served F1 from 2014 until the end of 2025 \u2013 featured the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit-Heat).<\/p>\n
This unit was attached to the turbocharger shaft and performed a critical dual function: it harvested excess energy from the exhaust gases spinning the turbine, and it could also act as an electric motor to pre-spin the turbo compressor, forcing it up to its effective operating speed almost instantaneously.<\/p>\n
In the context of race starts, this was crucial.<\/p>\n
Drivers sitting on the grid could have their turbocharger spooled up and ready to deliver maximum boost pressure in a matter of moments, at relatively modest engine speeds of between 9,000 and 10,000 rpm.<\/p>\n
The MGU-H effectively eliminated turbo lag at the very moment drivers needed power delivery to be flawless.<\/p>\n
![\"Oscar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260211F1-0020-800x450.jpg\"\/)
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Piastri has warned of chaos at the starts after the Bahrain test<\/p>\n
\n Grand Prix Photo\n <\/p>\n
The 2026 regulations have removed the MGU-H entirely from the power unit architecture, a decision driven largely by cost and complexity concerns.<\/p>\n
In its place, the new hybrid system increases the role of the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic), which now contributes close to 350 kilowatts \u2013 roughly 50 per cent of the total power output \u2013 during deployment.<\/p>\n
That has been a huge shift in philosophy: in removing the MGU-H, the rules have removed the one component that had been quietly making race starts look effortless for over a decade.<\/p>\n
Before this change, the success of a race start depended on reaction time and controlling the wheelspin.<\/p>\n
It has meant that it was less likely to have disastrous starts unless there was a big mistake or some sort of technical glitch.<\/p>\n
The new start physics<\/p>\n
Without an electrical motor to pre-spin the turbocharger, the only means of spooling it up is the old-fashioned way: high exhaust gas flow from the internal combustion engine, which means high rpm.<\/p>\n
Data from the Bahrain pre-season test recorded peaks of over 13,000 rpm during practice starts \u2013 values that the previous power units only reached during moments of maximum effort, certainly not while cars were at a standstill.<\/p>\n
In past years, thanks to the MGU-H, the average start rpm fluctuated between 10,000 and 12,000 rpm. Today\u2019s drivers must sit stationary on the grid, engine screaming, for an extended period \u2013 often 10 seconds or more \u2013 simply waiting for the turbo to reach an efficient operating speed and stabilise.<\/p>\n
A viral video from the F1 test in Bahrain showed Lewis Hamilton<\/a> practising Ferrari<\/a>\u2018s start procedure, revving his engine for 20 seconds before he gets going.<\/p>\n 2026 starts will look nothing like last year\u2019s<\/p>\n \n Grand Prix Photo\n <\/p>\n However, the high revs alone are only half the battle. As the engine increases in rpm, it builds up exhaust gas flow but, because the engine is not under load, that is working against boost pressure. For everything to get to a certain rpm and stabilise takes time \u2014 and this is also dependent on the actual turbo size and the relationship between the turbine and compressor capacity.<\/p>\n But the difficulty doesn\u2019t end there: if a driver releases the clutch at that rpm without perfect calibration, the result is excessive wheelspin. The window of success is now very narrow.<\/p>\n Compounding all of this is an explicit regulatory restriction introduced specifically for 2026.<\/p>\n Article 5.4.12 of the technical regulations states: \u201cWith the exception of cars starting or resuming the race from the pitlane, the MGU-K may only be used during a standing start once the car has reached 50km\/h [31mph].\u201d<\/p>\n This means that for the most critical phase of the start \u2013 the initial launch \u2013 drivers cannot lean on the MGU-K\u2019s electric torque to make up for any deficiencies in turbo response. Any driver who has not balanced the revs, clutch release and turbo speed perfectly has no means of recovering until they are up to at least 50km\/h.<\/p>\n That is where the energy management dilemma truly bites.<\/p>\n Even once the 50km\/h threshold is crossed, drivers would be reluctant to use the MGU-K to compensate for a poor start, because that entails using up battery charge \u2013 thus compromising the rest of the lap.<\/p>\n The 2026 cars are energy-hungry. While burning through energy would be logical in helping fill in for turbo lag on the run to the first corner, it would be wasted if that meant being left with an empty battery that makes the car a sitting duck coming out of it.<\/p>\n Safety concerns<\/p>\n What elevates this from a mere sporting curiosity to a genuine safety concern is the disparity it creates across the grid, as Piastri warned after the first Bahrain test.<\/p>\n The current start procedure means that once the final car has rolled into its grid slot, the five red lights begin illuminating at one-second intervals, with the race typically getting underway within 10 seconds of the last car stopping.<\/p>\n Stella has urged the FIA to make changes before the first race<\/p>\n \n McLaren\n <\/p>\n For drivers at the back of the field, this interval doesn\u2019t give them sufficient time to get their cars into the right envelope for the race start, meaning that while those in the front half of the field are hurtling towards Turn 1 after getting their engines to the right rev range, those towards the back face chaos.<\/p>\n The implications are very serious.<\/p>\n F1 cars accelerate at rates that can generate enormous speed differentials between surrounding cars in a fraction of a second.<\/p>\n A driver who has nailed the turbo spooling perfectly can launch very fast; a driver who misjudged their preparation by even half a second may barely move.<\/p>\n The shambolic practice start sequence at the end of Bahrain testing \u2013 in which Piastri did not get away at all from the front row while only half the cars behind him moved \u2013 served as a vivid illustration of what awaits when conditions are not perfectly controlled.<\/p>\n The anxiety in the paddock has been hard to miss.<\/p>\n McLaren boss Andrea Stella has been perhaps the most forthright voice, and he was unambiguous about his concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not talking about how fast you are in qualifying. We are not talking about what is your race pace. We are talking about safety on the grid,\u201d Stella said. \u201cThere are some topics which are simply bigger than the competitive interest. And for me, having safety on the grid, which can be achieved with a simple adjustment, is just a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the drivers, few have disguised their unease.<\/p>\n Lando Norris<\/a> was candid about the new complexity: \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more complicated. As soon as you start to use any battery to help in any situation, you\u2019re just taking away a lot of battery to use for the rest of the lap. I can maybe have a better start, but you can also run out of battery by the time you get to Turn 1, in some places like Mexico, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n Bortoleto labelled the start procedure a \u201cmess\u201d<\/p>\n \n Grand Prix Photo\n <\/p>\n Haas<\/a> driver Oliver Bearman<\/a> was equally forthcoming about the knife-edge nature of the procedure. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more complicated and a bit more inconsistent. Now we have to spend a lot longer doing the wait phase prior to doing the actual start and it\u2019s really on a knife-edge to get it right. It\u2019s really a matter of milliseconds \u2013 if you\u2019re too late or too early by half a second, then it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Lando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20251109F1-0109-800x450.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Andrea](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2245811680-800x450.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Gabriel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260211F1-0027-800x450.jpg\"\/)
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