Discussions continue on possible regulation changes to address the many issues with the 2026 power units. Foremost are the safety risks during races, as well as the obvious limitations in qualifying, but finding a solution is not easy. The room for maneuver is limited, not to mention that the calendar calls for caution, so the rules could change progressively from Miami to Barcelona. All this intertwines with other technical topics, such as the ban on the electric power trick in qualifying, the ADUO resolution, and the new compression ratio test, all topics of the second episode of Engineers on Thursday, the technical deep-dive video podcast by FormulaPassion.
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The double problem of the 2026 rules
Discussions between the FIA and the teams focus on two main points. The first concerns safety, with the need to solve the problem of large speed differences on the straights after the incident between Bearman and Colapinto at Suzuka. The problem mainly arises from charging strategies and clipping, practices that in turn intertwine with the trick used by Mercedes and Red Bull-powered cars on the flying lap, now banned by the Federation. The other major topic on the table is qualifying, where the rules on electric power delivery have tied the throttle and battery so much that drivers are prevented from pushing to the maximum.
Intervening is possible, but not simple. Restoring power to the internal combustion engine, for example, would help to soften the clipping phases, but this will not be possible before the second part of the season or more likely 2027. In the short term, work can be done on delivery strategies, maximum electric power, and charging modes, although the changes would not be free from side effects. There are fears of repercussions on various aspects, such as lap times, overtaking difficulties, and even reliability. Also for this reason, the FIA might not make all the changes in Miami, preferring to take the necessary time to test individual fixes.
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Between ADUO and compression ratio
The regulations are thus set to change from race to race up to Barcelona and perhaps even beyond. It will be interesting to evaluate their effects on the hierarchies, since in the same period the new compression ratio test will also debut, although the competition believes that maintaining the cold check represents an advantage for Mercedes. Shortly after, updated engines with ADUO will arrive, in which Ferrari places great hopes.
