Miami tweaks offer limited relief
McLaren driver Lando Norris believes Formula 1’s latest energy management adjustments introduced in Miami were only “a small step in the right direction,” admitting the sport is still far from delivering a driving experience competitors truly enjoy.
Following discussions with drivers, F1 introduced several changes to energy deployment systems aimed at letting drivers push harder during qualifying laps. The goal was to reduce the amount of lift-and-coast driving required to preserve battery energy. However, the full impact of those revisions has not yet been properly tested at circuits that demand more energy recovery than the stop-start nature of the Miami Grand Prix.
At the same time, Formula 1 stakeholders have already agreed in principle to further changes for 2027. Those plans include increasing combustion engine output by 50kW through higher fuel flow while reducing electric power contribution equally. If implemented, the balance between combustion and electric power would shift closer to a 60-40 split instead of the originally intended 50-50 ratio.
Norris doubts battery-heavy formula can be fully fixed
Assessing the first round of Miami updates, Norris said the adjustments were positive but still failed to address the core issue created by heavy reliance on battery management.
The reigning world champion explained that drivers are still punished for pushing flat-out consistently, something he feels should never happen in Formula 1. According to Norris, drivers remain unable to attack every corner aggressively or accelerate early without sacrificing energy efficiency elsewhere on the lap.
He suggested that the current regulations may never fully satisfy drivers unless the dependency on battery systems is significantly reduced in the future.
Piastri highlights “crazy” closing speeds
Team-mate Oscar Piastri said Miami gave him his first real experience of the dramatic speed differences between cars deploying energy and those running low on it — a situation that previously contributed to Oliver Bearman’s major crash in Japan.
Piastri described the current closing speeds as “pretty crazy,” revealing that during the race, George Russell was able to go from one second behind to overtaking him by the end of a straight due to the enormous speed advantage.
He added that anticipating those rapid changes as the defending driver is extremely difficult. Piastri also admitted that while he was unhappy with one of Russell’s overtaking moves, he later found himself making a similar manoeuvre because the speed differentials were so extreme.
Despite praising the cooperation between the FIA and Formula 1 in attempting to improve the regulations, Piastri stressed there is only so much that can be done with the current hardware package, meaning further revisions remain necessary in the coming years.
Antonelli says trust between drivers is essential
Race winner and championship leader Kimi Antonelli echoed similar concerns, saying the huge closing speeds require a significant level of trust between drivers during wheel-to-wheel combat.
Antonelli explained that the cars become far more difficult to manoeuvre when running in Straight Mode with reduced front and rear wing angles, making direction changes slower and less responsive. Because of that, drivers must anticipate situations earlier and rely heavily on the judgement of the defending car ahead.
Like Norris and Piastri, Antonelli acknowledged the Miami revisions as a positive initial move, but admitted more changes will likely be required moving forward.
