The FIA entered Monday’s emergency rules meeting with clear driver recommendations on 2026 regulation changes, setting up a potential clash with teams who may resist modifications that harm their competitive interests, according to The Race.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed the governing body’s alignment with drivers Sunday night, writing on social media that drivers had provided “invaluable input on adjustments which they feel should be made, particularly in the areas of energy management to ensure safe, fair and competitive racing.”
The word “racing” signals the FIA’s acknowledgment that driver complaints extend beyond qualifying issues to include Sunday race conditions — a broader scope than teams have prioritized in their own proposed changes.
Driver Concerns Beyond Qualifying
Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director Carlos Sainz said after the Japanese Grand Prix that Ollie Bearman’s crash demonstrated why closing speeds between cars during races must be addressed alongside qualifying problems.
“That’s why I was so surprised when they said, ‘no, we will sort out qualifying and leave the racing alone because it’s exciting’,” Sainz said. “As drivers, we’ve been extremely vocal that the problem is not only qualifying, it’s also racing.”
He added: “That’s the problem when you listen only to the teams, that they will think the racing is okay because maybe they’re having fun watching it on TV.”
The huge energy offsets created by the 2026 regulations have increased overtaking opportunities but also generated dangerous closing speeds. Bearman’s Japan crash occurred in a non-straight-mode zone where active aero rules create velocity differentials between cars managing different energy deployment strategies.
FIA-Driver Collaboration
The Race understands the FIA has held multiple discussions with drivers over recent weeks, both in group sessions and individual meetings, to map solutions to early 2026 problems.
GPDA director George Russell described the current relationship between drivers and the FIA technical department as the closest he has experienced on regulatory matters.
“The FIA have been in a lot of communications with a handful of drivers, and at least from the FIA technical standpoint, it’s probably the closest relationship we’ve had with them in numerous years,” the Mercedes driver said. “That’s very positive to see.”
Driver recommendations include increasing super clipping recharge to 350kW, a proposal teams generally support. Other suggestions — revisions to energy levels, recharge limits, or super clipping activation parameters — may face resistance from teams whose competitive position would suffer under the changes.
Under the 2026 Concorde Agreement, rules changes require a super majority: seven of 11 teams on chassis regulations, or four of five manufacturers on power unit regulations. Any proposal failing to reach those thresholds dies.
Safety Override Option
If teams block changes the FIA deems necessary, the governing body holds a rarely used nuclear option: imposing modifications on safety grounds without team approval.
An article in F1’s technical regulations states: “Any changes made by the FIA for safety reasons may come into effect without notice or delay.”
Bearman’s crash provides clear justification for energy management and closing speed changes under safety authority. The accident occurred in a corner-entry zone where cars not deploying full electric power became sitting targets for those behind with full batteries and active aero in attack mode.
Forcing changes through would be a last resort, The Race reports, but the option exists if Monday’s meeting produces insufficient movement from teams.
Russell said the FIA understands the need to reduce closing speeds “in abnormal areas and especially in non-SM modes.”
“If there’s a straight, that isn’t an SM mode, that means it’s because it’s a corner,” Russell explained. “And of course, the Bearman crash was in a non-SM part of the track, so I think we’re all aligned on those points.”
Adjustments under discussion include both power level revisions and alterations to straight-mode activation zones, which govern where drivers can deploy maximum electric power and active aerodynamics. Monday’s meeting will determine whether teams accept driver-backed changes or force the FIA to act unilaterally on safety grounds. The next race weekend follows the meeting, giving teams minimal time to implement any approved modifications.