F1 bosses to use 'scalpel rather baseball bat'

· BBC Sport
Toto Wolff's Mercedes team have won all three grands prix so far in 2026Getty Images

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Andrew Benson
F1 Correspondent
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Formula 1 bosses will use "a scalpel rather than a baseball bat" in making changes to the sport's rules at a meeting on Monday, says Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

The team bosses are meeting with commercial rights holder F1 and governing body the FIA to discuss changes to the power-unit regulations in the light of criticism of new rules from drivers.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen said at the last race in Japan that he was considering his future in F1 because of his lack of satisfaction with the new cars.

Wolff said on Monday: "The discussions that have been taking place between the group of drivers, the FIA, Formula 1, and the teams have been constructive. And we all share the same objectives.

"It's how can we improve the product, make it out-and-out racing, and look at what can improve in terms of safety, but act with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat.

"So I think we are coming to good solutions that we are going to ratify hopefully today, in order to evolve, because it's only three races in."

Mercedes driver George Russell said last week that the drivers had fed into discussions with the FIA and "had two headline points - flat-out qualifying, so no lift and coast, and then reducing the closing speeds".

Verstappen's concerns centre on the new power-units introduced this year, and the degree of energy management required.

The engines have a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. This, as well as a series of complex regulatory constraints, has introduced a new form of driving and racing.

Verstappen does not enjoy either of the two main changes - qualifying laps are no longer on the limit at all times, in the traditional sense, because of the need to recharge the battery; and racing is being affected by the large variations in battery charge level and the new "overtaking" and "boost" modes - all of which leads to huge speed differentials between cars.

Wolff said: "I am carefully optimistic that we're going to improve the racing, while keeping the racing really good.

"If you have aligned objectives, and you define those objectives at the beginning, and that is, how can we work on making qualifying more spectacular, enjoyable for the drivers? How can we tackle safety objectives? And at the same time, protect what's really good within the racing, the overtaking. And that's why those steps look like they are in the right direction.

"Not overshooting, not undershooting, but if you come to the conclusion further down the line, that we need to maybe redefine the objectives, then so be it. But at the moment, I think that's carved out in a pretty clear way, and that's good."

It is expected that one of the changes that will be introduced before the next race in Miami on 1-3 May will be to remove a lower limit at which teams can recharge their batteries while at full throttle.

At the moment, this is set at 250kW, rather than the maximum recharge limit of 350kW which can be applied when a driver has lifted off the throttle and/or is braking.

Having the lower limit means drivers are forced to do more 'lift and coast' - when they lift off the accelerator and let the car run before braking for a corner.

Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas at 50G in the Japanese Grand Prix after he lost control when he was closing rapidly on Franco Colapinto's AlpineGetty Images

There is also a desire to address the issue of closing speeds when a car is deploying full power and another is out of battery charge - when the power difference between the two cars is nearly 500bhp.

This was a factor in a high-speed accident suffered by Haas driver Oliver Bearman in Japan.

Wolff said: "We need to see the Bearman accident for what it was. It was a misjudgment of a situation. It's like pushing the boost button and not braking on a kink where you're supposed to brake.

"While we need to protect the safety of the drivers and this needs to be of utmost priority and importance, there's plenty of brilliant racing happening in the world that we as racers love.

"Will it be always the safest sport? It won't. It is about understanding what those systems do to the car. How we can reduce the risks. In particular situations like in the rain or whatever.

"But always reminding ourselves we are guardians of this sport. We have responsibility for this sport. The opportunity it has given to all of us rather than looking at your personal advantage or disadvantage of certain regulations being changed or not."

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