FIA issue statement as crucial F1 talks commence

The FIA has published a short statement following the start of its critical discussions with F1, its teams and power unit manufacturers ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

The motorsport governing body and the rest of the F1 commission were already due to meet following the opening phase of the 2026 season, but have been able to take advantage of the unexpected break in the calendar due to the postponement of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

There are further meetings scheduled for later in the month, namely 20 April, ahead of the paddock reconvening for the trip to Florida in early May.

The focus of the summits is to address issues with the new F1 regulations, which came into force at the start of the year.

In particular, concerns surrounding qualifying and the safety of the revised power unit rules will take centre stage; the latter problem was amplified by Oliver Bearman's frightening crash at the recent Japanese Grand Prix.

Following the first meeting, the FIA said: "The first of a series of meetings to discuss potential changes to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations was convened today by the FIA. 

"Today’s meeting, between the FIA and technical experts from the Teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, covered a raft of topics as part of the natural evolution of the 2026 F1 technical and sporting regulations.

"It was generally agreed that although the events to date have provided exciting racing, there was a commitment to making tweaks to some aspects of the regulations in the area of energy management. There was constructive dialogue on difficult topics especially when considering the competitive nature of the stakeholders.

"It was agreed earlier in the year by all parties that this sequence of meetings would take place following the first three races of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The scheduling was timed so that sufficient technical data could be gathered in advance of any discussions. 

"As part of the round of collaborative discussions, further meetings are planned over the coming fortnight. There is a Sporting Regulations meeting on April 15 during which any changes in Section B that are required to facilitate the technical changes will be discussed.

"The next technical session will be on April 16 during which points discussed today will be followed up and new topics will be given exposure.

"A high-level meeting with representation from all stakeholders is scheduled for April 20 where it is anticipated that preferred options jointly proposed by the technical teams will be considered and a consensus sought on the way forward. 

"The 2026 regulations were developed and agreed in close partnership with teams, OEMs, Power Unit Manufacturers, the commercial rights holder and the FIA all at the table. It is in this spirit of collaboration that potential changes are being discussed. 

"Any changes to the regulations will be subject to the FIA WMSC approval process."