F1 Today | FIA announce 2026 rule changes ahead of Miami GP, Wolff slams public criticism of F1
Photo: Race Pictures
21:01, 20 Apr
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
From changes to the 2026 F1 regulations set to be introduced at the Miami GP, to Toto Wolff's disapproval of public criticism against the sport, here are the two main stories from today, April 20.
FIA reveal F1 2026 changes set for Miami GP after crunch meeting
On Monday evening, the FIA announced a series of changes to be implemented from the next Grand Prix at Miami in the beginning of May.
The opening three rounds of the 2026 season has seen widespread criticism of the new regulations, with the focus particularly on the need for energy management, as well as safety concerns surrounding the cars' 50:50 split of electrical power and internal combustion.
Among the changes announced, qualifying will now reduce the maximum permitted recharge from 8MJ to 7MJ, while the maximum super-clip duration will be reduced to 2-4 seconds per lap.
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Super-clipping, when the MGU-K harvests energy at full throttle, usually at the end of straights or in fast corners, will also have its peak power increased from 250kW to 350 kW - this change will also be seen in racing conditions.
Speaking of racing, the FIA have capped the maximum power available through Boost Mode to +150kW, and while MGU-K deployment will maintain 350kW in "key acceleration zones", it will be limited to 250kW in other parts of the lap.
The changes come after safety concerns were raised following Ollie Bearman's 50G crash at Suzuka behind a slow-moving, recharging Alpine of Franco Colapinto.
The FIA said: "These measures are designed to reduce excessive closing speeds while maintaining overtaking opportunities and overall performance characteristics."
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Photo: Race Pictures
Toto Wolff slams public criticism of F1
Meanwhile, Toto Wolff has made clear his view that criticism of the F1 2026 rules should only be made behind closed doors.
Prior to Monday's regulation changes, several drivers, including Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Carlos Sainz have publicly criticised the new ruleset, with the 2026 racing being likened to something out of Mario Kart.
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Speaking to media, including GPblog, Wolff emphasised the need for those involved in F1 to understand their "responsibility" to protect the sport.
Wolff 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.
"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.
"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.
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"We have many hundreds of thousands of fans that love the sport. There are others that don't love certain aspects of the sport.
"But in order to protect all of this huge opportunity that the sport gives us, we shouldn't badmouth our own sport in public."
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Photo: Race Pictures
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