McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has acknowledged that Formula 1’s controversial 2026 regulations will likely require additional refinements beyond the recent changes implemented by the FIA. Speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Brown suggested the current rule modifications represent just the beginning of an ongoing evolution process for the sport’s new technical framework.
The 2026 season faced an unexpected five-week break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to Middle East conflicts. This interruption provided the FIA with an opportunity to reassess regulations that have drawn significant criticism from drivers and team principals throughout the opening rounds of the championship. Safety concerns reached a peak at the Japanese Grand Prix when Haas driver Ollie Bearman suffered a frightening crash attributed to dangerous closing speeds between cars.
Following intensive discussions between the FIA, teams, drivers, and power unit manufacturers, governing body officials announced regulatory adjustments focused on energy management improvements and enhanced qualifying competitiveness. These modifications are scheduled for testing during the Miami Grand Prix sprint weekend, marking the latest attempt to address widespread concerns about the overhauled chassis and power unit regulations.
When questioned by Sky Sports F1’s Craig Slater about whether the FIA’s changes adequately addressed existing problems, Brown expressed cautious optimism while acknowledging the ongoing nature of regulatory development. “I think it’s a great step forward,” Brown stated. “Our sport’s very exciting and people like to get very excited. We’re only three races into these new regulations. They’re only going to get the engineers smarter, smooth the path.”
The 54-year-old McLaren executive drew parallels to the hybrid power unit introduction a decade earlier, noting similar adjustment periods in F1’s regulatory history. However, Brown concluded with a realistic assessment of future changes: “So the FIA, the teams, the drivers, everyone’s worked together. I think it’s going to be a great step forward. Is it going to be enough? Does it need to be refined again? Probably, but we’ll wait and see.”