Have all the issues been solved after the Miami rule changes?
A series of regulatory adjustments introduced at the Miami Grand Prix aimed to make the 2026 Formula 1 cars more enjoyable to race and improve the overall quality of the competition compared to what had been seen during the opening rounds of the season.
The FIA consulted the drivers before implementing the changes, allowing them to play an active role in guiding discussions and helping shape potential solutions. As a result, many of the complaints that dominated the early part of the campaign have become less frequent.
However, several drivers admitted after the Canadian Grand Prix that there is still work to be done before the current generation of Formula 1 cars reaches its full potential. Among those sharing that opinion was Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who currently leads the championship and was asked about the topic during the FIA press conference in Canada.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: “The right direction is giving more power to the combustion engine”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that some aspects of the current energy management system can still produce unexpected situations behind the wheel.
“Sometimes the way the energy management system operates can still catch you by surprise. The modifications that have been introduced, together with the additional flexibility provided by the FIA, have certainly helped make things easier,” Kimi Antonelli explained.
The Mercedes driver also highlighted how much the racing product has improved compared to last season, particularly in terms of how closely cars can follow one another.
“I think the cars are much better than they were last year because it is now possible to stay much closer to the car ahead, and that makes the racing more exciting,” he added.
While praising the work done by Mercedes on both the power unit and chassis side of the project, Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted there is still room for improvement when it comes to the current power unit regulations.
“As far as the power unit is concerned, I certainly cannot complain because the team has done an incredible job. Obviously, they have also done a fantastic job with the chassis. However, it feels like there is still work to be done on the power unit side, and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next two years if the regulations are changed to give more power to the internal combustion engine and slightly less to the electric component.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli believes that such a move would represent another positive step for Formula 1, particularly from a driving perspective.
“I think that would be another step in the right direction. Overall, the system is much better than it was at the beginning of the season, and it is becoming more natural to manage compared to what we experienced, for example, in Melbourne.”
The comments add further weight to the growing debate surrounding the future direction of Formula 1 power unit regulations. Several drivers and teams have expressed support for rebalancing the current 50/50 split between combustion and electric power, with discussions already taking place about potential adjustments that could increase the contribution of the internal combustion engine in the coming years.
For now, the FIA’s changes introduced during the season appear to have improved drivability and racing quality, but as Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s remarks suggest, many within the paddock believe the evolution of Formula 1’s power unit formula is far from complete.
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