F1’s New Era Hits Reset in Miami: How Will Teams Adjust to Rules?

The defining storyline of the 2026 Formula One season has been its controversial new regulations. An impromptu early-season break has brought adjustments, and their impact, if any, will be seen at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.

F1 introduced significant changes to the build of each car this year, most notably new hybrid engines that feature a 50-50 split of power usage between electrical and internal combustion. The changes have made the cars a few seconds slower per lap this year. (A full second in F1 time is significant, considering gaps between cars during qualifying are separated by tenths or hundredths of a second.)

But the new regulations have also brought up new safety repercussions due to unexpectedly high closing speeds.

This was highlighted at the Japanese Grand Prix, the most recent race, when Haas driver Oliver Bearman had a high-speed crash. Bearman was driving about 190 mph when he had to dodge Alpine driver Franco Colapinto. He veered off track and crashed into the barricade, though he avoided significant injuries.

Many drivers have voiced complaints about their cars, most prominently four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who has compared it to Formula E and Mario Kart. Lando Norris, the 2026 drivers’ champion, said last month it’s “probably the worst” car in the history of F1 to drive. Norris (P5) and Verstappen (P9) are several spots down in the standings compared to last year.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali defended the rule changes, saying there have been more overtakes, which have made the viewing experience better for fans.

“The fans want to have excitement on the race, want to have a lot of overtaking, want to have action on the track,” Domenicali told .