The FIA has confirmed a package of changes to Formula 1's 2026 regulations that will come into force at the Miami Grand Prix in early May. The update, announced on Monday evening, follows widespread criticism across the opening three rounds of the 2026 season about energy management and safety.
In qualifying, the maximum permitted recharge drops from 8MJ to 7MJ. The maximum super-clipping window will shrink to 2-4 seconds per lap; super-clipping is when the MGU-K harvests at full throttle, typically at the end of straights or in fast corners.
The FIA will also raise super-clipping peak power from 250kW to 350kW, a change that will apply in the race as well. In racing conditions, Boost Mode will be capped at +150kW, and MGU-K deployment will remain at 350kW in "key acceleration zones" but be limited to 250kW elsewhere.
Safety concerns intensified after Ollie Bearman's 50G crash at Suzuka while following a slow-moving, recharging Alpine driven by Franco Colapinto. The FIA said: "These measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities and overall performance characteristics."
Before these adjustments were revealed, several drivers — including Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz — had voiced strong objections to the 2026 rules, with the racing likened to something out of Mario Kart. The debate has focused on how the 50:50 split between electrical power and the internal combustion engine affects car behavior and racing dynamics.
Amid the public back-and-forth, Toto Wolff argued that disagreements should be handled privately. Speaking to media, including GPblog, he said: "We, drivers, the FIA, Formula 1 and the teams, we are guards. We need to understand our responsibility as the guardians of this sport."
He continued: "We need to respect what the sport has done for us and work constructively among ourselves to improve where things need to be improved and safeguard when it's needed."
Calling for stakeholders to keep discussions internal, Wolff added: "We will all have our opinions and that's absolutely legit, but these opinions and discussion should happen among the stakeholders more than in the public eye, because the sport is in a great place."
Wolff pointed to the sport's broad appeal as a reason for caution. "We have many hundreds of thousands of fans that love the sport. There are others that don't love certain aspects of the sport." He added: "But in order to protect all of this huge opportunity that the sport gives us, we shouldn't badmouth our own sport in public."
All eyes now turn to Miami, where the changes will take effect. The impact on qualifying tactics, closing speeds and raceability will be closely watched, along with how teams and drivers respond to the revised MGU-K limits and Boost Mode cap.
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*Originally published on [News Formula One](https://newsformula.one/article/fia-unveils-2026-tweaks-for-miami-as-wolff-urges-restraint). Visit for full coverage.*
