--- title: "F1 Drivers Not Banking on Big Improvements After Regulation Tweaks" date: "2026-05-01" modified: "2026-05-01" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/f1-drivers-not-banking-on-big-improvements-after-regulation-tweaks" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # F1 Drivers Not Banking on Big Improvements After Regulation Tweaks ![SUZUKA, JAPAN - MARCH 28: Sparks fly behind Nico Hulkenberg of Germany driving the (27) Audi F1 Team R26 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 28, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)]() *\Clive Mason\* Thursday's hot topic at the Miami Dolphins Stadium, or as some would like you to call it, the Miami International Autodrome, was the recent regulation changes enacted by the FIA. While [Formula 1]() drivers across the paddock clarified that no one would really know the full extent of these changes until they drove the car on Friday, they also weren't expecting any big improvements. "I guess it's a tickle," Max Verstappen told the media. "You know, it's not what we need yet to really make it flat out. But it's complicated to get everyone to agree. I just hope for next year we can make really big, big changes. "I mean, the positive thing about it is that we had some nice meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA," he added. "And I think that's probably a starting point hopefully for the future." ![MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 30: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talks to the media during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on April 30, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Hector Vivas - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)]() **Hector Vivas via Getty* Hector Vivas* Lewis Hamilton, who has been a bit quieter on this matter than his colleagues, reiterated the same message as Verstappen, solidifying that drivers need to be more involved in the regulation-making process. "All the drivers we do work together, we all meet—but the fact is we don't have a seat at the table," said Hamilton. "We do engage with the FIA and F1; F1's more often a little bit more responsive. But being that we're not stakeholders—we don't have a seat at the table currently, which I think needs to change. I say to them, when I was doing the Pirelli \[tire\] test, 'you guys should come and speak to us and collaborate with us, we don't want to be slagging off the Pirelli tires, we know you can build a good product.' "But their feedback will be coming from people who have never driven a car before. Speak to us, we'll work hand in hand, and we can work together to approach the FIA so we can get a better product. And the same with F1: 'we're here to work with you. We don't want to be slating our sport. We want the sport to succeed, and so we need to be working together.' But it's like a \[broken\] record—you keep doing it, and it's like small baby steps each time. But I have no doubt \[we are aligned\]." ![Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton speaks to the media at the Miami International Autodrome, ahead of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix which will take place on Sunday. Picture date: Thursday April 30, 2026. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)]() **Bradley Collyer via Getty** I wrote a basic explainer of the recent regulation changes, which you can read [here](). You'll see that, while the tweaks are meaningful, they're mostly surface-level adjustments to improve a few aspects of the racing product. It's all centered on energy management and deployment, really. So, because there aren't really any hardware changes, and the FIA is very unlikely to want to rule out anything big and sweeping (and I actually think they're right to do so), no one should expect a massive change come race day. Or, the Sprint race on Saturday, for that matter. "I think it's going in the right direction," Audi's Gabi Bortoleto said to the media on Thursday. "They have pushed in the direction the drivers were asking for. Still, we obviously need to head to the track and drive see how it affects the car. At the end of the day, the only way we can give you a proper answer is when we drive it \[on Friday\], and if we really feel a difference, I believe we will. But yeah, something isn't going to change massively, if I'm very honest with you. I think the changes are small, but in the right ways." Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, one of the most experienced drivers on the track in terms of race count, backed up his teammate's comments on the tweaks, though also reiterated that the changes were primarily enacted to improve safety, with performance as somewhat of a secondary reason. He even explained that, while many have argued that other series like WEC or IMSA have similar energy strategies, the sheer speed of F1 cars forced tweaks to avoid further issues like the one with Oliver Bearman in Suzuka. ![MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 29: Gabriel Bortoleto of Brazil and Audi Revolut F1 Team looks on in the paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on April 29, 2026 in Miami, United States. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)]() ![Nico Hulkenberg arrives at the paddock ahead of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States, on April 30, 2026. (Photo by Stephanie Tacy/NurPhoto)]() "The \[tweaks\] look definitely like a step in the right direction, especially, you know, when we look at safety, and the safety problem with these big closing speeds," said Hulkenberg. "If one car is at full power and one car is not having electric power anymore, there is a big difference in delta speed, which can cause accidents as we've seen in Japan, and that is dangerous. Some of it is aimed at that and then also at quality \[of racing\], you know, to make it a bit easier for drivers to also be able to go back to a more old school \[way\], to be really able to push and not be penalized if you push too much. "It's in the DNA of endurance racing to have different categories, but they don't kind of directly battle each other because they're different categories," he added. "It does happen every now and then that they get in each other's way, and there are incidents from that. I think it's a bit slightly different for us \[in F1\]." With a Sprint race on Saturday and the GP on Sunday, there will be multiple opportunities to see just how much the changes have affected each team. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()