Last Updated on March 29 2026, 5:02 pm
There are times when the warning signs in Formula 1 are so obvious and repeated that ignoring them becomes a risk in itself. Following the latest incidents under the 2026 regulations, that moment may have already arrived. After a frightening crash involving Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz held nothing back. His message was clear: the sport has been warned. And now, it is running out of excuses.
“We’ve been warning them about this happening,” said Sainz, pointing directly at the unpredictable closing speeds caused by the current hybrid systems. His concern is not theoretical — it is based on what drivers experience lap after lap.
Battery racing is not racing
The fundamental issue lies in the 50/50 power split mandated by the FIA and Formula One Group. What was designed as a technological evolution has instead created a racing product that even the drivers themselves struggle to recognise.
Fernando Alonso summed it up perfectly in a brutally honest assessment: overtaking manoeuvres are no longer earned — they are dictated.
Drivers are no longer attacking corners with instinct and bravery. Instead, they are reacting to battery states, algorithm decisions and energy deployment quirks. As Alonso described, overtaking now happens ‘without even wanting to’, turning wheel-to-wheel combat into ‘evasion manoeuvres’.
This is not just a philosophical problem. It is also a safety issue.
When one car suddenly has significantly more deployable energy than another, the closing speed becomes unpredictable — and sometimes unavoidable. This is precisely the kind of scenario that led to Bearman’s crash and is exactly what Sainz fears will happen again.
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SEE BEARMANS CRASH IN JAPAN
Horner’s “Frankenstein” warning has come true
This is not a new concern. In fact, it was predicted years ago.
Back in 2023, Christian Horner famously described the incoming regulations as producing ‘Frankenstein cars’ — machines that would behave in unnatural and potentially dangerous ways due to their reliance on complex energy systems.
At the time, his comments were dismissed, notably by Toto Wolff, who suggested that Red Bull was simply pushing back against a rule set that did not suit them.
Fast forward to 2026, however, and Horner’s concerns appear less like complaints and more like prophecy.
As the previous TJ13 article, ‘FIA to urgently address farcical 2026 F1 regulations’, highlighted, the sport is already grappling with the unintended consequences of these rules. Cars are deploying energy in the wrong places, drivers are being overruled by software and races are being dictated by efficiency rather than competition.
Algorithms over instinct
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the current era is the removal of driver agency.
We have already seen cases where minor driver inputs, such as lifting slightly through a corner or adjusting the throttle by a few percent, trigger major changes in how the car deploys energy. The result? Drivers are effectively passengers in their own vehicles.
This is not only frustrating, it is also dangerous.
When drivers cannot predict how their car will behave in relation to others, the risk increases. Combine that with significant variations in energy deployment on straights and the conditions are perfect for high-speed incidents.
Sainz’s warning about ‘these kinds of closing speeds’ should not be taken lightly. Formula 1 has spent decades improving safety and reducing the risk of fatalities, learning from past tragedies. Introducing a system that reintroduces unpredictability at high speed would be a step in the wrong direction.
Could Miami be the breaking point?
Attention now turns to Miami, where both drivers and teams are hoping that the governing bodies will finally take action.
Sainz made it clear that change is needed before another incident occurs. The concern is that, without immediate intervention, the sport will effectively be waiting for a ‘huge accident’ to force its hand.
And that is the uncomfortable truth.
Formula 1 is not just dealing with a flawed spectacle; it is dealing with a system that actively increases risk. While the chaotic racing of the early season may have entertained some, beneath it lies a structural problem that cannot be ignored.
The question is no longer whether changes are needed.
The question is whether the FIA will act before the next warning comes not from a driver, but from a far more serious on-track incident.
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NEXT ARTICLE – F1 qualifying rules slammed by Alonso. “50% of my team…” could drive this car
Its weekend three of the all new Formula One era and time for the Japanese Grand Prix. The iconic Suzuka circuit is hosting its 36th F1 event and over the decades has been the venue for many incredible memorable moments.
Ayrton Senna stalled his McLaren car on the grid in 1988, falling through the field to P14 before an incredible recovery drive in torrential rain to pass Alain Prost for lead in the closing stages of the race to claim his first F1 title.
In an emotional season finale in 1996, Damon Hill became the first son of an F1 champion to claim the title himself, leading from start to finish whilst team mate Jacques Villeneuve suffered a mechanical failure which ended his race.
Alonso: “50% of my team…” can drive this car
Yet arriving at the historic venue in 2026, the paddock talk was less of another electrifying weekend of racing and all about the energy management the drivers are having to deal with under the new FIA regulations. This means the once fearsome challenge of the high speed corners at Suzuka has been neutered with drivers lifting and coasting rather than pushing to the limit.
No longer are the drivers on the limit as they take the Degna turns or R130 given they must drive just under 98% throttle level to ensure the hybrid motor efficiently deploys it energy. Fernando Alonso was critical of the new rules dente the FIA having dropped the maximum level of electrical power deployment from 9MJ to 8MJ.
When asked in the media pen about the challenge of driving at the historic Japanese circuit, the Spaniard was blunt. “It’s gone,” said Alonso. “I told you in Bahrain the chef could drive the car now. Maybe not the chef, but 50% of the team members I think, at least, can drive in Suzuka, because as I said a few times already the high-speed corners now became the charging station for the car.
“So you go slow there, you charge the battery in the high speed and then you have the full power on the straight. So the driver’s skill is not really needed anymore. You just need to…CONTINUE READING THIS STORY
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it is crazy, something needs to be done, and at Suzuka too, a place where we saw Bianchi perish after some questionable F1 rules (or lack thereof)
All these things speak volumes about the present overall situation, not to mention besides Horner, Max also warned about the side effects in 2023, yet FIA didn’t take either warning into account.
A far more serious incident is definitely inevitable, unless things change.
Yes, the roughly 50-50 split was to please Honda & Audi, but so what if they leave.
Safety especially, but also the overall spectacle are far more important than a couple of manufacturers.