Fernando Alonso expressed skepticism regarding the adjustments made by the FIA to the Formula 1 regulations in 2026. Despite a more positive reception to the weekend in Miami, the Aston Martin driver believes it is still too early to say that the problems in the qualifying sessions have really been resolved.
Read more F1: Kelly Piquet shares special family moment on Mother’s Day
The changes were implemented after criticism of the early stages of the season, marked by complaints about the so-called ‘superclipping’, slowdowns on straights, and downshifting in sections that were traditionally driven at full throttle. The FIA decided to act before the Miami GP, with a special focus on improving the behavior of the cars during fast laps.
Although the general perception after Miami was more optimistic, Alonso warned that the characteristics of the American circuit may have masked the problems. According to the Spaniard, the layout demands less from the power units compared to tracks like China and Japan, which makes a definitive assessment difficult: “To be honest, I found it very similar. Maybe we need to return to the same circuit to have a really clear comparison, because in Miami it’s easier, with all the drag reduction zones on the straight,” said the Spaniard.
The two-time world champion explained that on circuits like Suzuka the energy demand is different, especially in high-speed corners like 130R, where rolling resistance also influences the car’s behavior. For this reason, he believes the impact of the changes may not be as significant as many expect: “I don’t think that if we go back to Suzuka, we will see as big a change as we were expecting. We need to give it a little more time. But these power units will always reward those who take the corners more slowly.”
Read more F1: Bortoleto comments on Audi’s technical chaos in Miami
In Alonso’s view, the current engine logic favors energy preservation in corners to maximize performance on the straights: “With any strategy and any level of ‘clipping’, you need energy on the straights, so you need to save it in the corners,” he added.
Besides commenting on the rules, the driver also assessed Aston Martin’s current moment. Even acknowledging that pure performance is still far from the competitors, Alonso highlighted important advances in the car’s behavior: “The 17th place is still a second ahead of us, so there is still a long way to go. But reliability and vibrations are much better than before, that is the main positive point. We can mark this issue as resolved, because the car now behaves normally,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Waché highlights Red Bull’s progress and end of difficult phase in 2026
