F1 fans livid over race start rule change that the FIA ‘snuck’ into updated regulations

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F1 plans to introduce a ‘low power start detection’ system for the Miami Grand Prix, a move that has not gone down well with fans. A series of small changes to the regulations were unanimously agreed at a meeting on Monday.

The system will identify cars with abnormally low acceleration off the line and trigger MGU-K deployment to increase their minimum speed. The FIA say this is a safety measure that doesn’t carry any ‘sporting advantage’.

Franco Colapinto produced the ‘save of the season’ at the season-opening Australian GP to avoid a slow-starting Liam Lawson. Other drivers like Max Verstappen and Gabriel Bortoleto have experienced similar glitches, forcing those behind to take swift avoiding action.

Should F1 make small tweaks to the rules, rather than major changes?

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Some felt a multi-car accident was inevitable if their concerns weren’t addressed. The new systems will be tested in Miami to see if they work as intended.

F1 fans say race start assistance increases ‘skill dilution’

Writing on Reddit, one furious fan protested: “I can’t believe it. They snuck in this s— as well. If you can’t start go in the f—— pitlane. It’s literally a skill issue, not an ‘abnormality’.”

Another complained that the changes will lead to more ‘skill dilution’. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has claimed the team ‘chef’ could now drive the car through certain corners, with energy management demands forcing drivers to cruise at times.

• READ MORE: Ferrari invite F1 rivals to ‘start from the pit lane’ if they feel race starts are unsafe

That has strengthened the narrative that the new regulations have reduced the emphasis on pure driving skill. Alonso has called F1 a ‘battery world championship’ in 2026.

“So computers take even more control away from drivers that already felt like skills were taken out of the equation,” a fellow Reddit user said.

Another wrote: “Automatic this, automatic that… This won’t solve anything. Racing shouldn’t have any automation or computers deciding things for the drivers.”

Separate comments included ‘at this point, we’ll have AI drivers in five years’ and ‘yeah, this is awful’.

Why Ferrari fans don’t need to worry about race start changes

Ferrari have been the masters of race starts in 2026. Charles Leclerc stormed into the lead of the Australian GP from fourth, while Lewis Hamilton passed both Mercedes on lap one in China.

They have consistently got the better of the Silver Arrows off the line, which has made the races less one-sided.

Ferrari, who deliberately built a smaller turbo that requires less preparation, have resisted moves to prolong the start procedure.

But the Miami GP measures shouldn’t hurt them because they are only designed for extreme cases. Mercedes’ starts have typically been slow, but not dangerous, so they’re unlikely to meet the MGU-K assistance threshold.