The FIA held a first meeting yesterday (Thursday 9 April) with technical staff from the teams and power unit manufacturers and said it will tweak the energy management side of the 2026 regulations. Nothing was settled on the spot, and any change that arrives before the Miami GP in May is expected to be a small refinement.
FIA statement: tweaks to energy management
According to the FIA statement carried by Autosport and The Race, those present generally agreed that "although the events to date have provided exciting racing, there was a commitment to making tweaks to some aspects of the regulations in the area of energy management." The FIA added that there was "constructive dialogue on difficult topics especially when considering the competitive nature of the stakeholders." Technical experts from the teams and power unit manufacturers attended; neither outlet names individuals.
Autosport links the talks to drivers' complaints about energy management in qualifying and to safety concerns over large closing speeds when cars run out of electric energy. It also notes the major accident for Haas driver Oliver Bearman in Japan. The Race observed that the FIA statement focused on energy starvation rather than on the quality of the racing itself.
Options on the table and the timetable
Autosport reports two options under discussion: reducing the electric energy drivers are allowed to deploy, and increasing the amount that can be harvested when cars are "super clipping", meaning charging the battery against the engine at full throttle. It says changes before May's Miami GP will likely be smaller refinements based on driver feedback and data from the opening three races rather than wholesale changes. The Race describes a paddock consensus that safety and the qualifying spectacle can be improved, but notes opinions may not align on what to change and how.
| Date | Meeting | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 9 April | First technical meeting | Team and PU-maker technical experts; no immediate changes agreed |
| 15 April | Sporting Regulations meeting | Section B changes needed for the technical tweaks |
| 16 April | Technical session | Follow-up to 9 April plus new topics |
| 20 April | High-level meeting | Preferred options from the technical teams considered, consensus sought |
The 20 April meeting will largely look like a regular F1 Commission meeting with team representatives, the FIA and F1 management, plus extra representatives from the 2026 power unit manufacturers (Autosport). The sources differ on approval. Autosport says the result of an e-vote is expected a few days later, after which the World Motor Sport Council ratifies the changes; The Race says the changes go through the F1 Commission and then need WMSC ratification before Miami. They also differ on 15 and 16 April: Autosport and The Race call 15 April a sporting regulations meeting and 16 April the technical session, while Grandprix.com (a GMM report) calls both technical sessions.
What to watch
The next race after Japan is the Miami GP, with the race on 3 May, so the actual rule wording is likely to be settled in the five weeks in between. Nothing is confirmed yet; the outcome of the 20 April meeting and the vote and ratification that follow are the next checkpoints. Grandprix.com points to drivers having to lift on straights or through fast corners in qualifying as the heart of the debate, and quotes former Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko saying "there will be adaptations, but whether it will be possible to ensure that the driver is the decisive factor again, I cannot currently assess."