F1 Commission sends refinements to WMSC; Bahrain checks

The F1 Commission agreed a set of targeted refinements to send to the World Motor Sport Council for approval, and the FIA said it will not make immediate, sweeping changes to the 2026 regulations. The FIA pledged further evaluation rather than wholesale revisions and will run additional energy-management checks across three days at the second pre-season test in Bahrain, examine proposals to reduce any extra risk at standing starts, and evaluate potential updates to race systems and on-car management there.

Drivers and teams warned the 2026 overhaul could worsen overtaking, drivability and energy management rather than improve racing. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto said following another car “doesn’t look great.” Haas’s Esteban Ocon warned the cars appear to lose front load and that, so far, it looks difficult to pass. Max Verstappen dismissed some concerns as “a lot of nothing.”

Lewis Hamilton amplified technical concerns about drivability and energy recovery, saying teams cannot recover sufficient battery power under the revised hybrid rules and that drivers are being forced to rev very high and drop into first and second gears to regenerate energy. He warned high revs and large gaps between gear ratios raise the risk of instability when a car is loaded mid-corner and can cause sudden snaps, and cited “about 600 meters of lift‑and‑coast at Barcelona” appearing in qualifying. Hamilton also argued the hybrid system now supplies nearly half of the car’s power, making energy deployment and management central to on-track performance.

Teams, power-unit manufacturers and FOM pledged to work through outstanding technical issues before the season opener in Melbourne. The FIA and many teams also highlighted positive elements of the 2026 cars — reduced weight, smaller dimensions, improved ride quality and stronger initial acceleration — while warning that premature or large-scale regulatory changes could increase instability and that any refinements remain subject to formal approval procedures.