During a press briefing organized by McLaren on Wednesday, Mark Temple, the team’s Technical Director – Performance, shared his insights on the latest developments within the Woking-based squad. The British engineer provided a detailed analysis of the impact of the F1 2026 regulation tweaks approved earlier this week, which are set to take effect starting with the Miami Grand Prix. By comparing data from the opening three rounds with updated simulations, Temple illustrated how Formula 1 is working to restore a more natural driving feel for the pilots while keeping safety as the absolute priority.
Qualifying: Saying goodbye to artificial “Lift and Coast”
One of the most criticized issues by drivers during the first Grands Prix of 2026 was the requirement to lift off the throttle during qualifying laps to recharge batteries before braking zones. The previous rules forced long phases of inertia to maximize energy recovery up to 8MJ. Under the new corrections, the charging limit has been reduced to 7MJ, while the peak power of the “super clip” has been increased from 250 to 350 kW.
“The idea is to eliminate these maneuvers that drivers don’t like doing in qualifying,” Temple explained, pointing to data gathered in Melbourne. “The concept of the car coasting for a long period through a high-speed chicane, instead of having the more natural feeling of staying flat-out and then braking hard, was counterintuitive. Now, ‘lift and coast’ should no longer exist in qualifying: the driver can stay at full throttle and the Power Unit will recover energy more efficiently. Consequently, the car will slow down less and the driver will transition directly from gas to brake.” This change will make the flying lap feel much more similar to what was seen in previous years, removing the abstract energy management phases that had distorted the qualifying spectacle known up until 2025.
Overtaking and safety: The new face of the “Boost”
Overtaking management in Miami is set to change drastically, especially in sections of the track not considered traditional straights, such as the sequence between Turn 1 and Turn 4. In these areas, the maximum available power will drop from the previous 350 kW to 250 kW. This move aims to limit the dangerous speed differentials observed in the first three rounds of the season, returning duels and overtakes to more traditional locations and circumstances.
“If you used the boost in that zone under the previous regulations, you would have achieved a very high speed,” the McLaren technician noted. “With the power reduction, the speed advantage over the base car is diminished. In those areas, it will therefore be harder to overtake, and that is precisely the intent: it was judged that if there isn’t a straight, that is a less appropriate place for overtaking.” Temple added that “late boost” (the delayed activation of the overtake button) has also been capped at +150 kW: “The speed increase will still be there, but it will be less rapid, preventing the build-up of an excessive advantage in too short a time. We will see fewer opportunistic overtakes in unusual spots, but I believe it is the right compromise for safety.”
Strategy and lap times: Rewarding the thinking driver
Despite these changes, the impact on lap times is expected to be minimal, with an estimated loss of between 0.2 and 0.3 seconds depending on the circuit layout. This scenario will slightly increase drag sensitivity, making aerodynamic efficiency even more central to car development without completely overturning current designs.
Temple emphasized that F1 2026 remains a formula dominated by energy management, but the new corrections aim to reward drivers capable of optimizing the system. “I think this forces a slightly greater strategic element into overtaking,” Temple added. “A driver might do a poor job of overtaking by using too much energy and end up being re-passed on the following straight. This will reward drivers who, as Andrea Stella has said, think, learn, and optimize what they are doing on track.”
Development: No revolution in sight
When asked if these changes would alter McLaren’s development roadmap, Temple was categorical in denying any major shifts. While sensitivity to air resistance increases slightly due to the minor reduction in straight-line performance, the effect is considered too small to shift the car’s technical direction.
“I don’t believe it has any impact on the direction of development,” Temple concluded. “There are still aspects of driving with the new PUs that will remain, because it is still a formula where you want to use energy at the most efficient points. We aim to eliminate the most counterintuitive things, but until we get on track in Miami to explore all the ways a driver might interpret the rules, there could still be anomalies that we’ll need to analyze and correct in the future.”
The upcoming adjustments at the Miami Grand Prix therefore represent a targeted effort to refine the 2026 regulations, focusing on improving the driver’s experience and ensuring track safety. By reducing artificial management phases and tightening the parameters for power boosts, Formula 1 aims to deliver a more authentic and strategic racing product that rewards technical mastery on the edge of performance.
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