Radical idea to fix F1 qualifying emerges amid drivers’ growing dissatisfaction

The 2026 rules continue to face strong pushback from drivers, with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc among those openly voicing their discontent.

Leclerc, in particular, didn’t hold back after qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, unleashing a tirade to his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, as he detailed his frustrations.

With the FIA set to meet with all 11 F1 teams on April 9 to discuss potential adjustments, a report has surfaced suggesting an unusual fix for qualifying. According to The Race, one proposal under consideration involves overhauling Formula 1’s active aero rules to improve lap performance.

The report further details how changes to the deployment of active aero would be beneficial, as it could serve as a valuable tool in enhancing car performance over a lap. This would mean less battery would need to be deployed, reducing management headaches and allowing cars to accelerate more quickly.

The report concludes by noting that evaluation studies are now underway to determine whether it could be possible to relax the active aero rules, even potentially allowing drivers to use it freely wherever they choose in qualifying.

Earlier, Verstappen echoed the sentiments of Norris on the energy deployment issues affecting the current generation of cars. The Red Bull Racing driver revealed that battery power often deployed automatically when he was within a second of the car ahead, rather than being under his control.

Norris had previously admitted he was forced to overtake Lewis Hamilton against his preference due to the inability to manage his energy deployment.

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