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F1 are scrambling to come up with a solution to the safety concerns that have arisen regarding race starts, with the latest proposal proving Max Verstappen’s negative comments on the new regulations to be spot on.
Due to the new engine formula that now consists of a 50/50 split between electrical and thermal energy, the vast majority of drivers on the grid have reported issues with race starts.
The new power units demand that the turbos be spooled up before launching off the line. Without this, cars are at risk of going into anti-stall, and that could spell disaster for any fast-starting cars at the back of the pack.
Ferrari have developed a smaller turbo unit to negate the longer charge-up time, and Lewis Hamilton was seen producing rocket-like practice starts during the Bahrain test.
However, it’s clear that the FIA need to come up with a safe solution to the issue. Helmut Marko has theorised on the Australian Grand Prix potentially starting from a rolling start instead of the usual standing starts we see, which could be a genuine option for the sport.
- READ MORE: F1 teams now want the FIA to ‘introduce limitations’ on Ferrari to prevent turbo advantage
Have the 2026 regulations made F1 worse, with Max Verstappen likening driving the new cars to Formula E?
The latest ‘solution’ proposed to F1 regarding race starts would see all cars start with electrical energy only
During an appearance on the Nailing the Apex podcast, F1 journalist Julianne Cerasoli revealed another one of the solutions that she had heard being proposed to Formula 1 Management (FOM) regarding the recent race start issues.
She said, “I heard that one solution that was given to FOM, to F1, was to have a completely silent start, only with an MGU-K. Imagine that.
“An engineer said that, from an engineering point of view, that would be the best start. The way the cars are going to work better is if we only have the start with an MGU-K. But it’s going to be completely silent.”
In the event that FOM goes ahead with the proposal, it would mark the first time in F1’s 76-year history that fans in attendance won’t be able to enjoy the roars from the grid as the five lights countdown to the start of the race.
Of course, from a safety standpoint, it seems like a fair enough option. However, it would also culminate in the season-opener of F1’s new era being a complete letdown.
It would also render Max Verstappen’s statements in Bahrain about the new ruleset being “not very Formula 1-like” as a spot-on verdict.
Verstappen was approached by FOM regarding his negative comments in the media, with the sport’s top brass wanting drivers to make up their minds after a few races instead of jumping to premature conclusions.
However, it’s highly unlikely that a Grand Prix start in complete silence will change the views of F1’s elite-level drivers.
- READ MORE: F1 team principal says Christian Horner may have been right all along about ‘Frankenstein’ 2026 cars
Should F1 bosses have been ‘tougher’ on Max Verstappen after he criticised the 2026 rules?
The majority of F1 drivers have voiced concerns over the new 2026 engine formula
Verstappen isn’t the only one who has voiced his concerns over the direction that F1 is heading with their new technical regulations.
Former arch-nemesis Lewis Hamilton shares a similar opinion to Verstappen regarding the calibre of racing that will be on display this season.
The Ferrari star noted his frustrations with the amount of ‘lico’ that will be necessary to optimise race strategies, highlighting that it simply isn’t what racing is about.
F1 veteran Fernando Alonso has also shared his dismay with the amount of energy management that will be needed due to the new 50/50 split.
The Spaniard labelled it as ‘annoying’, and his frustrations with Aston Martin have also led some to believe that he will fast-track his retirement plans to the end of the upcoming campaign.
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