New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nThe year-on-year differences were particularly and painfully obvious in Melbourne, where the Albert Park circuit was declared \u2018harvest poor\u2019 \u2014 that is, a track where recharging the battery is difficult owing to the lack of big braking zones and slow corners.<\/p>\n
However, an improved spectacle in Shanghai, where the circuit is \u2018harvest rich\u2019 \u2014 a layout that makes charging the battery relatively easy \u2014 has prompted the sport to delay a crunch meeting that had been scheduled for the fortnight between the Chinese and Japanese grands prix.<\/p>\n
Stakeholders will instead use the four-weekend break created by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix to consider changes to the regulations before the sport resumes with the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.<\/p>\n
It means F1 will have an expanded sample of races to weigh up.<\/p>\n
Suzuka is the most iconic of the opening three venues, and though it\u2019s ranked among the most harvest-rich tracks on the calendar, some of its best corners \u2014 although almost all its bends are legendary \u2014 are exactly of the sort where the 2026 cars have looked least impressive so far.<\/p>\n
The stakes, therefore, are high, and conclusions made this weekend will carry real weight.<\/p>\n
But even then, there\u2019ll be no convincing some who have already made up their mind \u2014 and you certainly get the sense Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, is one of those.<\/p>\n
PIT TALK PODCAST: Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley leaves his job less than a year after moving to Hinwil. Is a switch to Aston Martin now on the cards? And we look ahead to this weekend\u2019s Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
VERSTAPPEN AGAINST THE WORLD<\/p>\n
Verstappen\u2019s position on the 2026 rules was fixed even before he first drove the car, having recognised in the simulator many of the ills he now lives with race by race.<\/p>\n
But after a dire weekend in China, where he failed to finish and was never in the mix at the front, he unloaded not just on the regulations but on those attempting to defend them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone likes this, then they really don\u2019t know what racing is about,\u201d he said, per ESPN.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not fun at all. It\u2019s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are boosting past, then you run out of battery the next straight. They boost past you again.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s just a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a forceful intervention from a driver who really just craves simplicity in the car. His position effectively is that there is too much regulation between his right foot and his lap time.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not hard to find drivers who fundamentally agree with him when it comes to qualifying, when the challenge is no longer how brave you are but how patient you are with the power unit. It\u2019s deeply counterintuitive \u2014 sacrificing 0.1 seconds in a high-speed corner can be worth 0.2 seconds or more of electrical deployment down the straights, for example.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a randomness to that phenomenon in that a mistake at one corner can sometimes lead to a faster lap due to battery charge.<\/p>\n
Regardless of what happens this weekend, the qualifying spectacle will need to be addressed before Miami.<\/p>\n
Many drivers were also on Verstappen\u2019s side after the Australian Grand Prix. Not only was it the first race under these rules and therefore an alien experience to them, but the Albert Park track still required heavy compromises from the driver during race conditions. Few walked away feeling satisfied.<\/p>\n
But the story was different in China, where a less energy-demanding circuit combined with all the lessons from Melbourne to create a different racing spectacle.<\/p>\n
Antonelli claims Chinese GP | 02:23<\/p>\n
\u2018BEST RACING THERE I\u2019VE EVER EXPERIENCED\u2019<\/p>\n
China\u2019s Sunday spectacle was replete with wheel-to-wheel highlights. The Ferrari drivers engaged in a particularly memorable duel in Shanghai, and there were big battles for the points-paying places behind them.<\/p>\n
The sport got its biggest boost yet after Lewis Hamilton gushed about the 2026 cars in the post-race press conference after scoring his first Ferrari podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s the best racing that I\u2019ve ever experienced in Formula 1,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like go-karting \u2014 back and forth, back and forth \u2014 and you could really position your car in a nice way where there was a thin piece of paper between us sometimes, but we didn\u2019t exchange any paint. I think that\u2019s down to great drivers and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charles Leclerc even commented during the race that he was enjoying the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is actually quite a fun battle,\u201d he radioed.<\/p>\n
That back-and-forth racing was facilitated by the electrical motor and the boost button, which gives drivers access to full power from the engine at will, albeit at the cost of draining the battery and being left defenceless later around the lap if done so injudiciously.<\/p>\n
It was a different sort of battle to the ones in Australia though, even if subtly.<\/p>\n
Whereas charge levels were on such a knife edge in Melbourne, in Shanghai the drivers had more to play with, and it was clear they were all using it in a similar way \u2014 not similar enough to prevent racing, but similar enough that passes weren\u2019t always simple drive-bys.<\/p>\n
Decisive moves tended to still be in the braking zones, but we also got the bonus of some passes in non-typical areas that kept the excitement high.<\/p>\n
It felt like the formula had matured, at least a little bit, into something far less artificial \u2014 different, to be sure, but genuine.<\/p>\n
Verstappen, though, wasn\u2019t sold.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just Kimi [Antonelli] or George [Russell] that is winning, right?\u201d he continued. \u201cIt\u2019s not really back and forth. They\u2019re miles ahead of the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just that Ferrari sometimes has these good starts that they push themselves in front, and then it takes a few laps to sort it all out.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I said, this has nothing to do with racing.<\/p>\n
Electrical issue ends Piastri’s race | 00:59<\/p>\n
CAN YOU HAVE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?<\/p>\n
Verstappen\u2019s problem is that not everyone feels as strongly about the purity of the racing product \u2014 subjective though it is \u2014 as he does.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen is good racing, with many overtakes\u201d Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said, per The Race. \u201cWe were all part of F1 where there was no overtake, literally.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes we are too nostalgic about the old years, but I think the product is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wolff suggested that Verstappen\u2019s increasingly vociferous commentary was down to Red Bull Racing\u2019s poor form, with the Dutchman well off the pace in China and failing to finish thanks to a power unit cooling problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cMax is really, I think, in a horror show,\u201c he said, per ESPN. \u201dWhen you look at the on-board that he has in qualifying yesterday, this is just horrendous to drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s not the same with many other teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you sit in front of a TV or in front of a screen, even Max would say that was interesting racing in the front.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verstappen, of course, denied his criticisms were born of self-interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say the same if I would be winning races, because I care about the racing product,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not about being upset of where I am.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I speak for most of the drivers. Some of course will say it\u2019s great because they are winning races, which is fair enough. When you have an advantage, why would you give that up? Because you never know if you\u2019re going to have a good car again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if you just speak to most of the drivers, it\u2019s not what we like. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s what the real F1 fans like.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe some fans like it, but they don\u2019t understand racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can help it a little bit, but it\u2019s fundamentally flawed.<\/p>\n
Hopefully we can get rid of this as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
F1 makes call on Middle East races | 00:21<\/p>\n
NEW RULES, NEW FANS<\/p>\n
But delineating between new and old fans is dangerous. A new fan isn\u2019t necessarily any less knowledgeable or invested than someone who\u2019s been watching for the sport for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the fans and the excitement that is there live, the cheering when there are overtakes, and also on social media, the younger fans, the vast majority through all the demographics likes the sport at the moment,\u201d Wolff said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, yes, we can always look at how we\u2019re improving it, but at the moment all the indicators say and all the data say that people love it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I spoke with Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO]; he says that too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course there are some immutable truths that come with Formula 1 being a sport: that it should be a fair contest of skill between team-driver combinations. If the drivers feel that deal isn\u2019t being upheld, they should be listened to.<\/p>\n
Verstappen argues that F1 must not chase new fans at the expense of those who have followed Formula 1 for years \u2014 or at the expense of driver satisfaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope they don\u2019t think like that, because it will eventually ruin the sport,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will come and bite them back in the arse.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at it for the sport, it\u2019s just not good.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s also true that if you were to give a driver everything they wanted in the regulations, you\u2019d end up with cars with infinite grip and power that would be impossible to race against each other \u2014 the opposite problem.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important, in other words, not to mistake tradition for stagnation.<\/p>\n
Different is different; different doesn\u2019t have to be bad.<\/p>\n
Bezzecchi dominates Brazil Grand Prix | 01:15<\/p>\n
THE PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION AT THE HEART OF THE RULES<\/p>\n
So how does Formula 1 strike the middle ground between its new all-action formula and the purer form of racing from yesteryear? And is it motivated to do so in the first place?<\/p>\n
There are some important big-picture considerations that will need to be taken into account when changing the rules.<\/p>\n
The first is that these regulations were designed to be more attractive to auto manufacturers \u2014 in particular Audi \u2014 to draw them to the sport. Given Audi did join, Honda was tempted back and Ford is involved with Red Bull Powertrains after a deal with Porsche collapsed at the 11th hour, the primary objective has been emphatically met.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also why there was such strong resistance among the manufacturers to the prospect of a sudden diversion to naturally aspirated V10 motors around this time last year \u2014 that and the massive amount of money already spent on development.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why these rules, at least fundamentally, are desperately unlikely to change before their planned expiry at the end of 2030.<\/p>\n
But a further question is more pertinent.<\/p>\n
How fast should Formula 1 be?<\/p>\n
Though the drivers are divided on the Sunday spectacle, Formula 1 believes \u2014 not without reason \u2014 that the new style of racing can be a winner. Expect that ideological battle to drag on for as long as these rules last \u2014 at least half a decade.<\/p>\n
However, there is practically universal consensus that the qualifying spectacle has been damaged. What once used to be about ultimate performance \u2014 about drivers pushing to the limit of their machines \u2014 is now about precision management of energy levels for deployment down the straights.<\/p>\n
Worse is that some of the sport\u2019s most iconic corners are being neutered \u2014 Albert Park\u2019s back chicane, for example, and likely the legendary 130R and even the esses this weekend.<\/p>\n
The equation is deceptively complicated, but on paper you could reduce the need to charge the battery by reducing total power output \u2014 effectively draining the battery less quickly \u2014 but that obviously comes with the drawback of the cars being slower.<\/p>\n
So here\u2019s the question: would you accept a Formula 1 car being three seconds slower if it improved the qualifying spectacle? What about five seconds?<\/p>\n
At Albert Park, pole position for Formula 2 was 10 seconds slower than for Formula 1. What if the required cut in lap time was seven seconds?<\/p>\n
And would you accept it if it harmed the racing spectacle?<\/p>\n
This is the challenging question the sport will face after Japan. There are no easy answers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This weekend\u2019s Japanese Grand Prix will take place under the same rules as races in Australia and China…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556679,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[215657,215647,215651,3032,5806,2840,18614,215656,215638,215636,215653,215659,215652,198037,49,48,215650,215649,3025,95,215664,215665,215661,215646,215648,215670,215635,215637,18577,186349,215634,215663,84208,215640,41833,40618,3049,578,3018,576,577,215672,215668,5220,78551,215644,215671,77406,215667,2454,215641,18611,11253,1885,13586,215633,215642,18600,40637,215669,138831,128059,41821,215639,215666,215673,215643,215660,215655,6549,82,215674,215658,117472,215654,215645,18581,215662],"class_list":["post-556678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-alex-bierens-de-haan","tag-alien-experience","tag-all-action-formula","tag-andrea-kimi-antonelli","tag-asia","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-driver","tag-auto-manufacturers","tag-battery-charge","tag-big-picture-considerations","tag-blast-lays","tag-boost-button","tag-braking-zones","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-car-behaviour","tag-car-vibrations","tag-charles-leclerc","tag-china","tag-chinese-grand","tag-claims-chinese","tag-crunch-meeting","tag-crunch-rules-meeting","tag-defends-regulations","tag-dr-ing-h-c-f-porsche-ag","tag-driver-satisfaction","tag-drivers-access","tag-eastern-asia","tag-electric-motor","tag-electrical-issue","tag-electrical-issue-ends","tag-energy-levels","tag-energy-demanding-circuit","tag-engine-formula","tag-engine-regulations","tag-espn-inc","tag-f1","tag-fernando-alonso","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-four-time-world-champion","tag-four-weekend-break","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-grands-prix","tag-half-throttle-performance","tag-harvest-rich","tag-horror-show","tag-infinite-grip","tag-japan","tag-japanese-grands-prix","tag-lap-time","tag-mario-kart","tag-max-verstappen","tag-melbourne","tag-new-rules-contradiction","tag-non-typical-areas","tag-oceania","tag-parc-ferme","tag-post-race-press-conference","tag-power-output","tag-power-unit","tag-power-unit-formula","tag-precision-management","tag-qualifying-spectacle","tag-race-conditions","tag-racing-product","tag-racing-spectacle","tag-ruining-racing","tag-shanghai","tag-sports","tag-sudden-changes","tag-team-driver-combinations","tag-the-race","tag-universal-consensus","tag-unusual-driving-practices","tag-victoria","tag-wheel-to-wheel-battles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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