One of the most closely watched topics heading into the Miami Grand Prix weekend was the regulatory front, with considerable attention focused on the FIA’s adjustments following the major performance and safety concerns that emerged during the opening three races of the 2026 Formula 1 season. After the Miami weekend, it is fair to say that some positive responses have emerged, with several drivers acknowledging that the direction of travel appears to be the right one. However, the question marks have not disappeared, as many of the sport’s leading figures explained at the end of the weekend.
Verstappen acknowledges progress, Norris remains critical: “we should just get rid of the battery”
The Miami weekend delivered encouraging signs on the regulatory front, with the improvements introduced by the FIA appearing to generate some tangible benefits, particularly in qualifying, where drivers once again had greater influence compared to what was seen during the opening three Grands Prix of the season. The general direction appears positive, as several drivers admitted, but skepticism remains over certain aspects, especially in race conditions.
Several drivers addressed the issue while speaking to the media, with Max Verstappen—long one of the most vocal critics of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations—once again offering a measured but skeptical assessment.
“My car drives a bit better, but what I said previously about the rules remains exactly the same,” he told RacingNews365.
According to the Dutchman, while the regulatory adjustments represent a move in the right direction, the core issues have not disappeared.
“You still have to go a bit slower in some places in order to be faster. So it is still not how it should be. It remains punitive—the faster you go through a corner, the slower you go down the next straight; it should not be like that.”
Lando Norris, who finished second in Miami, also weighed in on the debate: “It is a small step in the right direction, but still not at the level Formula 1 should be,” declared the reigning world champion – “If in qualifying you go all-out and push like in previous years, you still get penalised. You still cannot go flat-out everywhere, and you should never be punished for pushing, yet that still happens.”
According to the McLaren driver, the current generation of Formula 1 machinery may never fully eliminate these issues: “Honestly, I do not think this can really be fixed—we just need to get rid of the battery, so I hope in a few years that is the case,” he added bluntly.
Piastri explains why overtaking still feels ‘artificial’, while Sainz calls for calmer debate
Oscar Piastri echoed a similar theme, acknowledging the improvements while also insisting that more changes will be required in the future.
“I think reducing the recharge limit in qualifying helped a little, even if it did not solve every problem,” he said during the post-race press conference.
The Australian also described what it feels like to race under the current regulations when battling wheel-to-wheel.
“The races are pretty much the same, and I think today was my first real experience of both overtaking and defending. It is quite absurd, to be honest. At one point I saw on my dash that George was one second behind, but then he managed to overtake me by the end of that same straight—it all feels a bit random.”
For the defending driver, anticipating the move is incredibly difficult, according to Piastri.
“I did not like George’s overtake on me, but then I found myself doing exactly the same move five laps later, simply because the speed difference is enormous.”
Given that situation, Piastri believes further intervention is necessary.
“From that point of view, not much has changed. I think the collaboration between the FIA and Formula 1 has been good, but there are only so many things you can change with the hardware we currently have. Without doubt, I think more changes are needed. The big question is how quickly we can make them happen.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also backed up Piastri’s explanation, highlighting another important issue: “You also need to trust the driver who is defending,” added the Miami Grand Prix winner.
“Because with active aerodynamics, the car is quite lazy in changes of direction. You have to think ahead, and you also need to trust the driver in front of you. It is a small step in the right direction—we will see what happens.”
Among the drivers, there were also calls for a more balanced tone in the discussion around the regulations. Carlos Sainz argued that, while the problems are clear to everyone, the time may have come to reduce the intensity of the criticism and focus instead on constructive improvements. “Overtaking is more about strategy in terms of engine mapping than what the driver actually does,” the Williams driver told ESPN.
“So I think these regulations still have room for improvement, but I also think it is time to stop criticising so much and continue pushing for changes in the right direction.”
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