F1 in Japan: Oh no, what have they accomplished to all of the quick corners?

Depending on the state of the battery and where the car is on track, it might have 750 kW (1,005 hp), it might have 400 kW, or it might only have 150 kW (201 hp) at the rear wheels. Each driver will use their energy differently, and the complicated nature of the hybrid systems, which are mostly automated, means they can behave erratically. Get too much wheelspin or oversteer, and the algorithms that control power delivery will adjust on the next lap.

And that in turn means cars acting unpredictably, which we saw with dramatic consequences when the Haas of Oliver Bearman had to take avoiding action to dodge the slow-moving Alpine of Franco Colapinto as the drivers approached the entry to Spoon Curve. Bearman darted left over the grass to miss the Alpine and spun, hitting the wall in a 50 G impact.

Critics of the new technical rules have long predicted that dangerous speed differentials of up to 70 km/h (43 mph) were possible, and it seems they were right. Hence, the April 9 meeting to discuss solutions. It probably won’t be easy, though. The simplest fix would be to allow a larger battery, but F1 cars are very tightly packaged, and this would require each team to undergo an expensive redesign, making the cars bigger and heavier.

Increasing the V6 engine’s fuel flow to generate more internal combustion horsepower would also help but would likewise probably require a larger fuel tank, again resulting in a redesign and bigger, heavier cars. Or the sport could limit the amount of power of the electric motor; capped at just 200 kW (268 hp), the battery could last for around 20 seconds.

No more fast corners

Unlike many F1 fans (and some of the drivers), I have tried hard to be positive about the 2026 technical regulations. That posture became very difficult to maintain after watching the cars qualify. The most famous corner at Suzuka is called 130R, a fast left toward the end of the lap that comes after a long flat-out run from Spoon. It used to be a challenge, but last year, 130R was barely a corner; the cars had so much downforce that they went through it on rails.