Piastri casts verdict on new F1 2026 rule tweaks ahead of Miami GP

The FIA has recently approved a series of key regulatory changes aimed at addressing several issues, including the inability to push flat out in qualifying and the dangerous closing speeds between cars, which led to the Suzuka clash involving Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto.

The changes also target race starts, where multiple drivers have been caught out off the line, raising the risk of chain-reaction collisions.

Speaking to GPblog among other media, the Aussie said he expects the tweaks to reduce the impact of qualifying limitations, particularly with the increased power of the superclip shortening the affected phases. He also noted that while the changes to the boost button could still produce some unexpected situations, they are overall a step in the right direction.

He added that lowering the harvest limit and introducing greater flexibility should further improve the situation, reinforcing the view that the adjustments are moving things in the right direction.

In a video released on the FIA’s YouTube channel, Nikolas Tombazis explained that drivers had shown a largely united stance, calling for changes to qualifying to allow them to push more and enjoy driving again, while also raising several safety concerns they felt needed addressing. Their feedback, he stressed, played a key role in shaping the discussions.

He also pointed out that Formula 1 remains an intensely competitive environment, with drivers, teams and power unit manufacturers all battling each other at the highest level.

As a result, reaching a shared agreement is far from straightforward, which is why the FIA’s role is to strike the right balance and find workable compromises, something they have been working hard to achieve.