After a race-free April, Formula 1 returns in Miami ready to debut its reworked regulations.
This weekend’s sprint event, featuring a specially-extended practice session, will give the first indication whether F1 has found working solutions to the problems with its 2026 regulations.
The five-week break means we’re likely to see upgrades to most if not all of the cars, which could lead to a significant shake-up in the pecking order. Here are the top talking points as the season restarts.
Will rule changes make a noticeable difference?
Last week the FIA announced 11 changes arising from its discussions around the shortcomings with the 2026 regulations. Most of these will come into force this weekend while others, such as the changes to start systems, will undergo testing for later introduction. Some will only be apparent in wet conditions.
But will the fine detail of these changes add up to a noticeable difference? It may take a few races before that can be answered definitively.
Has F1 solved drivers’ safety fears?
Analysis: Was Bearman right to question Colapinto’s role in his huge Suzuka crash?The biggest concern arising from the opening races was undoubtedly the dangers presented by the high closing speeds between cars. The FIA has taken direct steps to tackle this by capping the maximum boost limit available to drivers in race situations and introducing a cap on MGU-K deployment of 250kW at certain points on the lap.
Whether that goes far enough is something only the drivers can assess. It also goes hand-in-hand with the trickier question of whether F1’s rules on defensive driving need to be reconsidered if the closing speeds are not reduced sufficiently to reduce the risks of an unacceptably dangerous aerial crash.
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Goodbye to ‘gimmicky’ passes?
The quality of the racing in F1 at the moment is a divisive subject. Some drivers, past and present, have derided it as artificial “yo-yo racing”, others have stuck up for it. According to Alexander Albon, the view that racing has become too “gimmicky” in at least some respects was put to the FIA in the discussions around the new rules.
Report: FIA has listened to F1 drivers’ concerns over “gimmicky” racing – AlbonWill that change this weekend? There was some indication the strange phenomenon of ‘yo-yo racing’ was already becoming less apparent over the opening races – perhaps because drivers and teams were becoming more used to the quirks of the new power units, perhaps because of differences in track configurations. The two races this weekend – Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s grand prix – should reveal more about that trend and whether the rules changes have had a bearing.
A slower show?
One change which seems certain this weekend is that F1 cars will become slower as a result of the rules tweaks. How much slower remains to be seen, but the addition of F2 to the support roster, due to the cancellation of its last two rounds, could provide an interesting benchmark.
Are Mercedes still on top?
F1’s rules changes may not have a great effect on the pecking order, but the unexpected gap between rounds three and four is more likely to. The five-week break, with the kind of mandatory factory shutdowns seen in summer, will have allowed all teams to focus their energies on understanding and developing their cars.
Several have used the opportunity to conduct ‘filming days’, giving them a chance to run their chassis. Some, notably McLaren and Red Bull, have indicated they will bring upgrades this weekend.
Mercedes head into the fourth round having locked out the front row for the first three grands prix and won all of them, plus the sprint race in Shanghai. But McLaren were genuine contenders for victory in Suzuka and the fight at the front could be about to get interesting.
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Home welcomes for Cadillac and Ford?
F1 already had one American team – albeit with bases in Britain and Italy as well as North Carolina – in Haas. Now two US teams will contest the country’s home round.
Pictures: Cadillac’s special livery for Miami Grand PrixCadillac may not be on par with Haas in the championship just yet but they’ve made a credible and consistent start to life in F1. With a best finish so far of 13th place (Valtteri Bottas in China), points in their home grand prix will probably be too much to hope for.
Another major US brand has also joined F1 this year. However Ford’s presence is not as obvious, extending only to co-naming rights with Red Bull’s engine programme. What kind of reception will the two major US automotive brands get from the home crowd in Miami?
A weaker track for Russell?
Having captured the championship lead in Japan, will Andrea Kimi Antonelli extend his advantage in Miami?
While George Russell held the upper hand over him at almost every race last year, Miami was a notable exception. Antonelli took pole position for the sprint race and out-qualified Russell for the grand prix, too.
Yes, Antonelli has had some luck on his side to have won two grands prix so far this year, but Russell has also been ineffective at times, notably after Safety Car restarts. A third consecutive grand prix victory for Antonelli this weekend would be a serious statement of his championship credentials.
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Colapinto here to stay?
Colapinto drew a huge crowd in Buenos AiresJack Doohan’s F1 career came to an end 12 months ago in Miami when he retired on the first lap of the grand prix. Franco Colapinto took his place and parlayed that into his first full-season deal to drive for Alpine.
Has he made himself an F1 fixture in that time? If popularity alone guaranteed a driver’s F1 future, Colapinto would have nothing to worry about, as the incredible reaction he received in Buenos Aires from a crowd reputedly in excess of half a million people last weekend demonstrated.
His results may not be quite on a par with those of team mate Pierre Gasly but he’s performed well and had some poor luck – notably when he was hit by Esteban Ocon in China while running strongly. A year on from his return to F1, Colapinto increasingly looks like he’s here to stay.
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