Last Updated on April 14 2026, 2:12 pm
The most complex change in the Formula One engine technical regulations is causing more than just a headache for the FIA. Accusations flew after pre-season testing that the leading power unit supplier was using a metallurgical metamorphous to create incremental compression rates above the 1:16 allowed by the rules.
Come the season opener in Melbourne, there were a number of bizarre sights to be seen, including certain teams running their cars at a crawl following a qualifying simulation or lap. The issue appeared to disappear in China but returned at the iconic Suzuka circuit in Japan.
The all new engines have a huge amount of automation in terms of their energy deployment, with world champion Lando Norris complaining after the Japanese Grand Prix it was his car making decisions and not the driver.“I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis. It’s just that my battery deploys, I don’t want it to deploy, but I can’t control it. So, I overtake him, and then I have no battery left, so he just flies past,” Norris revealed.
The safety MGU-K shutdown
The massive increase in electric al power almost 300% of the previous era of F1 hybrids, has forced the FIA to codify certain aspects of the battery usage to ensure safety. One of the algorithms built into the ECU includes a procedure to ensure the electrical power does not shut off instantly.
This is for safety reasons to prevent a car suddenly losing 50% of its power and almost brake testing the driver behind. So from 350kw power is ramped down 50kw each second, unless there is an “emergency” which could damage the powertrain.
In such an instance, the driver can shut off the electrical power in an instant, but this has led to gamesmanship amongst some of the teams.
The prevent this the driver is then not allowed to use the MGU-K for 60 seconds, thus making it useless to do such a thing during a race or even around the circuit during qualifying. However, it was noticeable in Melbourne and even more so in Suzuka, that come the end of a qualifying lap or simulation Mercedes and Red Bull drivers were almost forced to a standstill.
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Mercedes/Red Bull abusing safety system
The first sector at the iconic circuit is high speed and withs single racing line and so its dangerous when cars travelling flat out come across others running at snails pace. During practice in Japan Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli along with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen were seen limping through the Esses due to a loss of power.
In an attempt to eek out a few extra hundredths of a second, both teams had their drivers shutting down the MGU-K as the cars came out of the final chicane. This meant they could run at full power to the line, before the 60 second penalty kicked in switching off their electrical energy.
Whilst the margins in qualifying have grown somewhat this season, due to all new cars and engines, the attitude of the engineers remains the same. Every last detail to improve lap time will be considered.
The trick was not evident in China, given the run from the final corner to the line is very short. But in Japan the distance is further, with Red Bull and Mercedes considering the trick was worthwhile.
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New technical directive banning Mercedes trick
Rival teams were already evaluating whether to configure their software to emulate this, with Ferrari opening dialogue with the FIA for confirmation of its legality. Whilst the trick is legal in Japan it was dangerous, given the high speed nature of the circuit.
Mercedes decided to turn off the algorithm for qualifying but partly because the benefit whilst bigger than China remained marginal. Having considered the matter, the trick has now been outlawed by the FIA in a technical directive which sources close to The Race reveal.
Whilst the option to shut down the MGU-K in an instant remains available to the teams, its use for anything other than technical difficulties is now outlawed. To police this is a fairly simple matter, given the FIA has access to each team and car’s telemetry.
Any driver persistently shutting down the MGU-K as they approach the start/finish line will be easily spotted. This in fact was a minor headache for the FIA to navigate, yet a migraine awaits them as final decisions on changes to the rules are now imminent.
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FIA believe F1 needs to eat “more apples”
It appears the FIA officials are not listening to the drivers and fans, as their head of day to day operations believes there is little to worry about. The Guardian reports Nikolas Tobazis as describing F1’s current flight as like a patient who needs no surgery, just better nutrition.
“It’s not like we’re discussing a complete rewrite. We believe the patient is not in intensive care; the patient needs to just eat a couple of apples per day, not to have an open-heart surgery,” says the Greek official. He does admit there are issues with how the cars drive and also from a safety point of view following Ollie Bearman’s massive crash in Japan.
“There are topics from both the drivability and the safety point of view that we need to address. I don’t like to be going around saying: ‘Everything is fine, we don’t need to do anything,’ because clearly things do need to be done,” he adds.
“Equally, I don’t like to say on the other extreme: ‘It’s all a mess.’ We have fans happy with the show, we’ve got an accident that was caused by specific aspects we need to solve and we’ve got some drivers who feel that some things can be improved,” Tombazis concludes.
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Viewing numbers collapse in Europe
The FIA official should visit fan forums before he makes such sweeping statements of the F1 viewers satisfaction with F1’s new era. TJ13 reported yesterday a collapse in viewer numbers of around 50% in some European countries. Further, we reported the opinion of a number of fans, noting some were refusing to pay their annual hundreds of dollars for their F1 subscriptions.
One fan posted on social media, “I’m glad I did not renew my F1 TV subscription for 2026.” In a similar vein, another, having saved hundreds of euros, stated: “Instead, I’m driving to the Nürburgring this weekend to watch Max drive balls out, rather than mushroom hunting.” Another reflected on previous F1 failures: “In the history of F1, car manufacturers have always been opportunistic at best. It was never a good idea to let them dictate a new ruleset.”
Today is D-Day for the FIA and the F1 stakeholders, any changes to the rules for Miami must be ratified by the World Motorsports’ Council tomorrow.
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Last Updated on April 14 2026, 10:56 am
As predicted by the independent F1 press before the season opener, the all-new 2026 era is rapidly descending into farce. A huge plunge in viewer numbers following the Japanese Grand Prix makes plain the fans are voting with their feet.
The fundamental architecture of the 50/50 power units was flawed from its inception. As Stefano Domenicali, F1 supremo, admitted in 2025, the resulting regulations were a “political” decision based on attracting more manufacturers into the sport.
Whilst the FIA working party on the next generation of F1 engines was formed in 2017, it was in 2020 that the first mention of the all-new 50/50 power unit was made. As the name suggests, the power contribution from the internal combustion engine would be 50%, as it would be from the battery…. CONTINUE READING
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13 and a career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media. Having trained in investigative journalism and contributed to several European sports outlets, Hunt brings rigour and polish to every article. His role is to sharpen analysis, check facts and ensure TJ13’s daily output meets the highest editorial standards.
