'They've got to get rid of that' - F1 insider fumes at 2026 rules

Nico Rosberg and Martin Brundle on an F1 gridwalk — Photo: © IMAGO

FIA

'They've got to get rid of that' - F1 insider fumes at 2026 rules

Martin Brundle has previously been on side with the new rules

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 7 April 2026 17:17

F1 legend Martin Brundle has named the one part of the 2026 regulations that the FIA 'have got to get rid of'.

The new rules have gone down to mixed reviews so far, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen constantly reiterating that the new cars are not fun to drive, and he has even threatened to quit the sport unless changes are made.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, has been very complimentary about the new rules, claiming that they're 'the best racing' that he's ever been a part of in F1.

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Brundle has now revealed what spooked him personally about the Japanese Grand Prix weekend last time out in Suzuka.

"One thing that really worried me was Lando Norris saying 'I didn't want to overtake Lewis Hamilton, but my battery decided it did and then I had nothing to defend with'," Brundle said on the Sky F1 show.

"Now there's a regulation in Formula 1," Brundle continued. "It's been around forever. It's very simple and far reaching: ‘The driver must drive the car alone and unaided’, and I think that's what I talked about linearity, the driver shouldn't have any surprises by a self-learning car.

"They've got to get rid of that. I'm sure it's not the work of a moment, but the power delivery must be proportional to what the driver is doing with the throttle. That's a fundamental. It has to be linear as I said. So it's a big issue for the FIA."

2026 regulations offer huge problems for the FIA

As well as the lack of enjoyment that some F1 stars have admitted to feeling with the new rules, there are also some safety concerns, which were exacerbated by an incident at the Japanese Grand Prix.

On lap 22, Haas' Oliver Bearman appeared to be caught out by how quickly his car caught up to the back of Alpine's Franco Colapinto, whose car was harvesting energy at a usually high-speed section of the track.

In order to avoid Colapinto, Bearman swerved onto the grass, but this caused his car to spiral out of control and into the barriers.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz launched a scathing assessment of the FIA after the incident, claiming that drivers had not been listened to about their concerns, and Brundle hinted on the above podcast that this is yet another issue that F1's governing body are facing.

"It is a big problem for the FIA," he continued. "The safety of the drivers is of course sacrosanct, but I think they are only fourth in line, in terms of priority. The top priority is the fans because they're paying to be there. They haven't bought into any element of risk and they have to be protected.

"Next up is the marshals, the corner workers. Because they're not being paid to be there, but they assume an element of risk because they're track side.

"Next up for me are the pit stop crew in terms of priorities. And finally, the drivers. The cars are pretty safe.

"Everybody's health is and safety is sacrosanct, but the FIA will now have to make a change for Miami because the drivers have voiced this. It's very much out there. I would be pretty certain they've put that in writing through the Grand Prix Driver Association as well.

"So, if a car flies into the crowd now and they haven't done something, shown some due diligence on this, then the FIA will be in for the high jump."

F1 Max Verstappen Lando Norris 2026 regulations Martin Brundle