Concerns over Silverstone race emerge as FIA told to take action

F1 cars in the rain at Silverstone — Photo: © IMAGO

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Concerns over Silverstone race emerge as FIA told to take action

The Silverstone spectacle may be hampered this year

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 21 April 2026 09:57

Silverstone is one of the most anticipated races on the F1 calendar, but the FIA have been urged to fix a major issue ahead of the 2026 British Grand Prix.

From Copse to Stowe, F1 drivers have always got a thrill out of taking the iconic high-speed, flowing corners of the Silverstone circuit flat out, with the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence being no exception.

However, the scene of some F1's greatest racing moments is under threat due to the new cars and regulations. The need for energy management with the all new power units, in which the electrical power has tripled, has led to drivers being unable to take corners like they used to, having to instead employ lift and coast or superclipping techniques.

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A meeting between team principals and executives, the FIA and F1 took place on Monday, with energy management being a major talking point.

Now, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has called the FIA to make changes in time for Silverstone, as to not see the iconic corners fall flat because of the new cars.

Croft: Silverstone spectacle under threat

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Croft explained: "The next weekend where I think we're going to see more focus on, are we harvesting enough energy to allow us to have proper racing as it were, is the battery capability enough, will be Silverstone."

"I would like to think we get it right before Silverstone because what I don't want to see is great corners Maggotts and Becketts suffer because of these new regulations where they're not proper corners anymore.

"There is a worry, certainly for qualifying, that that won't be the case but I'd be really interested if you said to some of the fans who don't like what they're seeing, 'Will you accept lap times that are two seconds a lap slower to put more emphasis on the internal combustion engine so the drivers can go out and race on the limit, or qualify on the limit? Would you accept that?'

"Because if so, there's a solution right there and right now to do that."

When is the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone

The 2026 British Grand Prix takes place at the Silverstone circuit from Friday, July 3 until Sunday, July 5.

Lights out for the British GP is at 15:00 on Sunday, July 5.

Not got your tickets yet? SportsBreaks provides hassle-free Formula 1 ticket packages to many races on the F1 2026 calendar, including this year’s event at Silverstone.

To book your British Grand Prix weekend ticket package with SportsBreaks, click here, and discover options starting from £665 including a hotel stay.

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F1 FIA Silverstone British Grand Prix David Croft