The worst thing about the 2026 F1 regs might be race starts

Look, I like hybrids, and I like hybrid racing. I like energy management and regeneration as competitive and strategic elements. But it’s starting to sound like the 2026 Formula 1 regs have created a bit of a procedural clusterfuck with standing starts, and that’s not exactly a minor problem. First of all, the outcome of like half of F1 races are decided by the start. But more importantly, even one car having a bad launch can cause a huge wreck.

The problem is that drivers now have to rev for around 10 seconds in order to spool up the turbo to prevent lag on the getaway, since the V6 is now a much reduced part of the power unit. But they also have to avoid over-charging their batteries while doing that, in addition to managing heat, dropping the clutch cleanly, and all the other usual difficulties of standing starts. Drivers are reportedly messing up one in 20 of their practice starts, which means that statistically someone will do it in a race every time. That’s not just a competitive problem; that’s a safety issue.

The thing is, there are rules changes that could mitigate the problem. I think the most promising would be allowing some battery energy deployment on the start to compensate for turbo lag, which is currently not allowed, but what the heck are electric car motors for if not accelerating!? A less invasive change would be increasing the time between the cars parking in formation and the start lights coming on. Ferrari, mysteriously, is blocking the rules changes, which suggests they’ve got a good PU solution to the turbo lag issue, and that’s fair enough, but we can’t be having crashes on the start in every race.