In a bizarre fashion, the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Grand Prix has saved some of the blushes of Formula One’s leaders. With just four race weekends complete and their fifth scheduled for the end of May, the action has been sparse, but so has the farcical on-track freak show.
The English-speaking broadcasters and mainstream F1 media lauded the changes made for the Miami Grand Prix. There were tweaks to the fashion in which the harvesting and deployment of electrical energy are delivered, yet this only made a modicum of difference in Miami on a circuit where energy recovery is easy due to the heavy braking zones.
Max Verstappen called the changes “a tickle,” while the current world champion Lando Norris was brutal in his early assessment: “Honestly, I don’t really think you can fix that. You just have to get rid of the battery.”
McLaren boss adamant F1 engines need architecture revision
The McLaren team boss called for urgent talks over possible changes to the architecture of the all-new 2026 powertrains, although the response from his supplier, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, was another ‘let’s wait and see’ kind of sentiment.
In fact, Oscar Piastri gave the most measured of all the drivers’ reports on how the changes felt while driving the car: “In terms of lowering the harvest limit and meaning we have a little bit less super-clipping, that is better,” Piastri told Viaplay. “But a lot of the other problems are still the same.”
“You have to go quicker very carefully to make sure you don’t just use a whole bunch of energy still. So some things are a little bit better, but some things are exactly the same,” reported the Australian.
Yet Miami would have been the best spectacle of the first four venues F1 has visited in 2026; with its energy-rich circuit design, the FIA didn’t even enforce some of their new rules. The 8MJ maximum harvesting limit was retained, despite the FIA allowing themselves the right to drop it to 7MJ.
FIA doesn’t fully adopt new rules in Miami
This rule change was designed to reduce the excessive slowing and harvesting at the end of the straights, although in Miami it remained noticeable that the cars began to slow long before the braking area on the back straight. This fact was never commented on by any of the English-speaking broadcasters.
In fact, Formula One has some respite from the relentless fan criticism of its new era of power, because in three weeks’ time, the teams head to Montreal, another energy-rich circuit like Miami. However, unlike Miami, there are more high-speed sections, and so deployment will increase when compared to what we saw in Florida. After Canada is Monaco, another circuit where the new F1 power units will not embarrass themselves along the tight and twisty streets of the principality.
The next big test for F1 is mid-June when the sport arrives in Barcelona, a circuit which will test the 2026 power units to the limit. And so for now, we must continue to suffer the continual drivel of support for F1’s new era from our presenters and broadcasters until it is once again exposed for the farce it has become.
Even in energy-rich Miami, Oscar Piastri explained how he was once again caught out by his power unit during qualifying. “It was just very, very weird in some ways,” Piastri explained. “In Q1 we were struggling with a few things not working as we expected. Q2 seemed pretty good, and then in Q3, the first lap wasn’t great. Then the second lap, a few areas weren’t great, and then a few areas some weird stuff happened with a massive super-clip when I didn’t expect it.”
Martin Brundle sugar coats F1 racing inn Miami
So F1 has not fixed the issues with the ridiculously heavy, complex, and eyewateringly expensive power units the manufacturers demanded. Yet F1’s elder statesman, ex-F1 driver and now broadcaster without compare—Martin Brundle—spent much of his time at the weekend ‘bigging up’ the new face of F1.
In his post-race column, he addressed the ‘fake overtaking’ to a certain degree, although Brundle believes the new rules have improved this aspect of the racing in 2026. “It’s been explained to me that an overtake is never really finished until the end of the lap because you can get greedy with power usage to take a position but pay the price later. I fully get that, and I rather like the wheel-to-wheel action and skill involved in carrying speed better than your rivals to outsmart them.”
It’s such a shame a once true die-hard racer is prepared to accept such a farcical aspect of F1’s new rules. Brundle did conclude: “And so, we had five different leaders with many lead changes, and two key overtakes in the final two corners of the race. It was a very timely, great show with a big audience, and I have no doubt the teams will continue to converge as they finesse and further understand these regulations. Bring on Montreal.”
Fans repeat their claims of ‘fake racing’
So why are the broadcasters largely protecting Formula One from the barrage of criticism it receives daily from its fans? JustanotherDutchie commented: “Qualy has been hit so hard that I fail to understand during a lap who is the top dog and who is just using a battery boost to improve speed for a few meters. I’ve given up on following sector times and just wait for the lottery to end to know who has ‘won’.”
“The race is not much better for me. There is hardly a build-up to a pass anymore. Drivers are just boosting around, going randomly faster or slower compared to others, making it hard to understand who is faster due to skill or battery.”
Stefano Domenicali, during the enforced break, spoke of how the fans are loving the new F1. Yet he cites polling done by f1.com and around 2,000 respondents. For a pure statistician, this loyal crowd is probably not the best gauge of public opinion in general.
Yet given its meteoric rise in terms of sponsorship money flowing in and sell-out Grand Prix almost a year in advance, F1 must keep the bandwagon rolling. Yet the problem is this is not a new qualifying format which can be ditched quickly; this issue is about the next five years of F1 racing.
The Barcelona test: It may get more ugly yet
Maybe it’s the utter despondency of the broadcasters which is forcing them into ‘chin up’ mode, or the realisation that so large are the mistakes that they will take at least two years to even partly fix in terms of power unit alterations. So why whinge? Let’s try and see the positive, then, huh?
The reality is that F1 has painted itself into a corner. By tethering the sport’s future to the complex, heavy, and often counter-intuitive hybrid units demanded by global manufacturers, the FIA has created a product that requires constant “PR management” to remain palatable. The mainstream media’s insistence on “bigging up” the show isn’t just about optimism; it is about protecting a multi-billion dollar investment that cannot be easily undone.
While Martin Brundle and others may “rather like” the tactical chess match of energy deployment, the average fan is left watching a lottery where sector times are meaningless and overtaking is a software-driven illusion. We are being told to enjoy the “skill” of managing a battery, while drivers like Verstappen and Norris—the very soul of the sport—openly pine for the days when racing was decided by bravery and right feet rather than algorithms.
As the circus moves toward Barcelona and beyond, the “energy-rich” safety blankets of Miami and Montreal will eventually be pulled away. When F1 is finally forced to face the raw, unpolished reality of these regulations on a traditional circuit, the “chin up” narrative of the broadcasters will be put to its ultimate test. Until then, the gap between the fans’ lived experience and the broadcasters’ scripted praise continues to widen, leaving many to wonder if Formula 1 has finally lost its way in the pursuit of corporate relevance. The bandwagon may be rolling for now, but the wheels are looking increasingly fragile.
Would you like to see more TJ13 Formula 1 coverage? Add us to your favourites list on Google to receive trusted F1 news.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
