F1 | Ferrari opposes McLaren on start procedures, Andrea Stella calls for “unity”. Andrea Stella calls for unity on F1 start procedures amid safety concerns.

F1 is once again in the spotlight over starting procedures: Andrea Stella urges unity, while Ferrari opposes changes. Several teams have requested modifications to the starting procedure, citing significant safety risks, but the Scuderia Ferrari has taken a firm stance against them. The controversy revolves again around the new 2026 Power Units, which require a complex preparation process to deliver optimal launch performance off the line.

Following the recent discussions on compression ratios, a new debate has emerged concerning the 2026 Power Units. The issue centers on the long and intricate start procedure needed to bring the engine to optimal condition for the launch when the lights go out. This procedure requires the turbo to be kept at maximum for about ten seconds, while carefully avoiding battery overload.

“There are three elements that deserve particular attention,” explains Andrea Stella. “One of them is the start. We must ensure that the starting procedure allows all cars to have the Power Unit ready to go because the grid is not the place where you want slow cars off the line. This is a bigger interest than any competitive advantage. I think all teams and the FIA must act responsibly.”

Stella calls for responsibility

“I am thinking, for example, about the timing of the lights, the time between lights out and the start: they must be calibrated correctly to ensure, first and foremost, that this is a safe phase of racing,” continues the McLaren team principal. However, the concerns do not stop at the start procedure itself.

“I have also identified overtaking as a potential critical point, and the fact that there could be cars following closely while the car ahead might lift off to recover energy, and that is not an ideal situation,” explains Andrea Stella, who fears particularly dangerous contacts and incidents.

With these concerns, the debate over start procedures is set to remain a contentious topic as teams prepare for the 2026 season, balancing competitive performance with safety in an era of increasingly complex Power Units.

The clash between Andrea Stella’s plea for safety-led “unity” and Ferrari’s defensive stance highlights the high stakes of the 2026 transition. If the new Power Units prove as temperamental at the start as internal reports suggest, the FIA may be forced to intervene to prevent the grid from becoming a high-speed obstacle course. For now, the battle remains behind closed doors, but the first race in Melbourne will provide the ultimate verdict on whether these procedural fears are justified.