Addressing Closing Speeds and Unintended Overtakes in Formula 1
In the package of changes to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations agreed last week, one of the key aims was to address the growing concern around closing speeds. The risks associated with one car approaching another at an unexpectedly high velocity were highlighted during the recent Suzuka race, where Oliver Bearman had to take evasive action to avoid Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, resulting in a heavy impact with the wall.
Despite Bearman blaming Colapinto for the incident, the primary cause was the difference in electrical boost between the two cars at that moment, which led to Bearman arriving at Colapinto’s rear wing much faster than anticipated.
The measures introduced are expected to not only mitigate safety risks but also reduce the occurrence of so-called “unintended overtakes.” During the Japanese Grand Prix, Lando Norris had to back off the throttle to avoid hitting the back of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari at 130R. When he hit the accelerator again, he received more power than expected, quickly depleting his battery and losing the position due to the difference in charge levels.
“The unintended overtaking is also related to the closing speeds,” said Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater director, in a call with select media. “And we believe that the measures we’ve taken to address the level of boost and the level of power in certain parts of the circuit goes to some extent towards addressing this issue.”
Key Regulatory Changes
The headline changes included an increase in the amount of energy that can be harvested through super clipping and a reduction in the harvesting limit during qualifying. While the primary aim of these changes was to enhance the spectacle in qualifying, there are also safety benefits from maintaining a more natural speed profile and reducing the need to lift and coast.
More detailed changes involved remapping how much energy can be deployed outside what the FIA describes as “key acceleration zones.” The limit remains at 350 kilowatts for these zones, but elsewhere it will be limited to 250kW. The maximum additional power in boost mode during race conditions is now capped at 15kW.
There have also been adjustments to the implementation of the so-called power-limited and power-limited-pending modes, which govern the electrical deployment in areas outside those key acceleration zones.
Addressing Unintended Overtakes
Some of the peculiarities, such as unintended overtakes, have resulted from measures taken to prevent cars from running out of charge on straights, which could pose safety issues when following one another. Among these temporary solutions is the process of electrical power ramping down by a prescribed amount rather than suddenly running out.
Another measure involves dividing circuits into areas where electrical boost is more beneficial to lap time—mostly out of corners—and others where it is less beneficial, such as later on straights. Teams use machine-learning algorithms to train the car to prepare for these power-limited areas. The trigger is the driver being at 98% throttle or above for one second.
What caught Norris out in Japan, and also affected Charles Leclerc’s qualifying in China, was backing off the throttle at a point that deviated from the “script,” causing the system to reset when they reapplied it. It has been agreed that the cars will now enter power-limited mode regardless of whether the driver lifts off or not.
Ongoing Adjustments and Future Assessments
While these changes will help, the amount of power exerted most significantly affects closing speeds and unintended overtakes. The next few races will serve as a case study to determine if the chosen levels are effective or if further adjustments are needed. Tombazis emphasized that this is a gradual and data-driven adjustment of the dial.
“We believe, we are quite certain, these changes will be a step in the right direction and a reasonably significant one,” he stated. “Whether there will be enough or whether we will need to take an extra step at some point, that is something we’re going to assess over the next few races. So we are open to continue this discussion, we clearly engage with the teams, with FOM, with the drivers. We also listen to the fans. All of that put together is what helps us form our strategy.”
“The fact we had a break meant we could concentrate on these discussions while we didn’t have to go racing every other weekend. It doesn’t mean that these discussions cannot continue.”
