Since the opening of the 2026 season, the paddock has not stopped raising the alarm about the new regulation's shortcomings. Qualifying sessions constrained by energy management, catastrophic race starts, dangerous speed differentials between cars in deployment and recovery phases: criticism came from every direction, from drivers to engine manufacturers to team principals.

The FIA listened. And after the final April meeting, it responded with a precise, technical and immediately applicable list of modifications. Miami will not simply be the return of competition after five weeks of forced pause. It will be the first race under a partially reinvented set of rules.

This was the paddock's number one demand since the start of the season: let drivers actually push flat out in qualifying without having to lift off to recover energy. The FIA addresses it with two complementary adjustments that tackle the super clipping problem directly.

Less harvesting, fewer constraints

The maximum energy that can be recovered per lap in qualifying drops from 8 MJ to 7 MJ. By reducing the amount of energy a car can accumulate, the need for forced recovery phases is mechanically reduced. Drivers will be able to extend their attacking phases without finding themselves coasting in sections where they should be accelerating hard.

Super clipping: more powerful, therefore shorter

The maximum power of the super clipping rises from 250 kW to 350 kW. The logic is counterintuitive but effective: by making the super clipping more powerful, it lasts less time to achieve the same result. The duration of these constrained phases, which caused so much driver frustration, is now reduced to approximately 2 to 4 seconds per lap, compared to significantly longer durations before. This change will also apply in race conditions.

An additional qualifying adjustment: the number of rounds that can run on lower alternative energy limits rises from 8 to 12 races, allowing better adaptation to the different characteristics of circuits on the calendar.

In the races, the FIA tackles two separate problems. On one side, the dangerous speed differentials between cars in deployment and recovery phases. On the other, situations where the boost creates sudden power differentials that put drivers in battle at risk.

Boost capped at 150 kW

The maximum power available through the boost in race conditions is now capped at 150 kW above the car's power already available at the moment of activation. This measure directly targets situations where boost activation created abrupt, unpredictable speed variations, such as the incident that nearly caused a serious accident between Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto at the Japanese Grand Prix.

MGU-K: full power where it counts

MGU-K deployment is maintained at 350 kW in key acceleration zones, meaning from corner exit to the braking point, including overtaking zones. In all other sections of the lap, however, the power will be limited to 250 kW. The goal is to preserve overtaking opportunities where they actually matter, while reducing excessive approach speeds in less critical phases.

• Key zones (350 kW): corner exit, overtaking zones, acceleration to the straights. Where the spectacle happens.
• Other zones (250 kW): corner entry, mid-corner. Risk reduction with no impact on racing opportunities.
• Boost (+150 kW max): limiting sudden power variations that create unpredictable situations for following drivers.

This is probably the modification most eagerly awaited by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Since the start of the season, the Dutchman has suffered from a recurring problem of insufficient power at the precise moment of releasing the clutch. In Australia, in China, in Japan: every time, the same complaint. The battery is not there. The engine does not respond.

The FIA has designed an entirely new system to solve this problem, while ensuring that the solution does not create an unfair sporting advantage between teams.

The automatic detection system

A new detection device is capable of identifying cars showing abnormally low acceleration shortly after clutch release. When this occurs, the MGU-K automatically activates to guarantee a minimum level of acceleration. The FIA specifies that this activation aims to mitigate the risks of a slow start without introducing a sporting advantage. It is a safety net, not an extra turbo.

This system directly addresses the situation that nearly turned dangerous at the Australian Grand Prix between Liam Lawson and Colapinto, when a car almost stationary on the grid created an extremely dangerous scenario at racing speeds.

The rear warning lights

To accompany this new system, flashing warning lights will activate at the rear and sides of any car whose MGU-K is triggered in safety mode at the start. Drivers arriving at full speed from behind will have a clear visual signal to anticipate a car accelerating more slowly than expected.

Energy counter reset

A technical detail worth noting: the energy counter will now be reset at the beginning of the formation lap. This correction eliminates an inconsistency identified in the system that could disadvantage certain cars before the lights even went out.

The 2026 F1 regulation had also created problems during wet sessions, with illegible rear lights and excessive electric power on slippery track surfaces. The FIA brings three targeted corrections.

The tyre blanket temperatures for intermediate tyres have been raised following driver feedback, to improve grip from the very first metres on a damp surface. The maximum ERS power will be reduced in these conditions to limit torque and improve car control. And the rear lights have been simplified with clearer, more consistent visual signals to improve readability of the situation for following drivers.