Formula 1 drivers have offered a mixed but generally cautious assessment of the latest regulation changes introduced at the Miami Grand Prix. While many have acknowledged a small step in the right direction, several key issues remain unresolved, particularly in qualifying performance and the extreme speed differences seen during overtaking manoeuvres.
After extensive consultations between the FIA, Formula 1, engine manufacturers, teams, and drivers, a detailed list of regulatory updates was officially published on April 20. These changes were set to take effect starting from the Miami Grand Prix. According to the FIA’s stated objectives, the main goals of the update were threefold:
– “more limit-driven driving in qualifying”
– “less dependence on energy management in qualifying and races”
– “reducing approach speeds during overtaking”
But were these objectives actually achieved in Miami? Based on driver feedback, there has been a slight improvement, but several concerns remain very much present in the paddock.
Kimi Antonelli: “More natural qualifying, but huge approach speeds in overtaking”
Kimi Antonelli highlighted some progress in qualifying but also pointed out ongoing risks during wheel-to-wheel racing.
“Qualifying feels better, more natural. In terms of the races, the approach speed is enormous and you need to trust the driver defending because with this active aerodynamics the car is quite lazy when you want to change direction and you have to think ahead. And you also have to trust the driver you are fighting against. But in any case, it is a small step in the right direction and we will see what happens next,” said Antonelli.
Lando Norris: “Small step, but pushing flat out in qualifying is still punished”
Lando Norris was clear that while progress has been made, Formula 1 is still not at the level it should be.
“The topic has been handled well, it is a small step in the right direction, but it is still not at the level F1 should be at. In qualifying, as we have said, if you go to the limit everywhere and try to push like in previous years, you are still penalised for it. You cannot go flat out everywhere. You should never be penalised for that kind of thing, but right now you are. Honestly, I think it is something that cannot be solved unless we get rid of the battery. Hopefully in a few years that could happen,” said Norris.
Oscar Piastri: “The speed difference in overtaking is still crazy”
Oscar Piastri also pointed out that while some changes helped slightly, the core issue remains largely unchanged.
“I think reducing the energy harvesting limit in qualifying helped a bit. It didn’t fix the problem, but it was a help. The races are basically the same, honestly the overtaking is crazy. At one point George Russell was one second behind me and managed to pass me at the end of the straight, and that is a bit random. The approach speeds are massive and trying to defend when you have to anticipate it is extremely difficult. And I found myself doing exactly the same move, attacking this time, five laps later, simply because of that speed delta. From that point of view not much has changed. The collaboration between FIA and F1 has been good, but only some things can be changed with the hardware we have. In the future more changes will be needed, the big question is how quickly we can do it,” said Piastri.
Max Verstappen: “In qualifying, the faster you go in corners, the more you are punished on the straights”
Max Verstappen confirmed that while his Red Bull has improved slightly, his concerns about the regulations remain.
“My Red Bull is a bit better now. But what I thought about the regulations is still valid. In qualifying you still have to slow down in some corners to be fast overall. It is not yet how I would like it to be. The faster you go in the corner, the slower you are on the next straight: it is penalising and it should not be like that. That said, my car is working a bit better now, it is less stressful to drive,” said Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz: “There is still a lot to do in both qualifying and races”
Carlos Sainz also underlined that while the Miami Grand Prix featured an entertaining race, it was not necessarily a direct result of the regulation changes.
“The good race? That is down to the circuit, not the regulation changes. There were some overtakes and the race was fun, but I think there is still a lot to do in both qualifying and races. I am happy with the proactive approach from the FIA and FOM in listening to us and continuing to improve,” said Sainz.
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