Canada spectacle shows how F1 is walking regulation tightrope

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but while drivers are still actively pushing for regulation changes to weed out the complicated quirks of Formula 1's new power units and the odd driving requirements they necessitate, the on-track action in 2026 has quietly enjoyed a good start.

Following an interesting race in Miami, Canada delivered fights throughout the field, including lead battles between Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in both the sprint and grand prix, and a double Ferrari versus Red Bull battle on Sunday, including a long duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, which the former eventually came out on top of.

In terms of action the race paled in comparison with an exhilarating Indianapolis 500, but while Indy's closest finish in history is tough to beat, there's also a case to be made for quality versus quantity. For the first three quarters of the 500-mile race, most overtakes for the lead were not particularly consequential, with fuel-saving requirements making the second position line a nice place to be.

There was only one decisive pass between Hamilton and Verstappen, but the chase was at least as good as the catch, as intrigue kept building through the closing stages of Montreal. It was arguably a much better balance than some of the yo-yo racing seen at the season opener in Melbourne.

But make no mistake about it, despite the exciting race at the front of the field, the drivers still aren't pleased with what they are being made to do to get there. "Ultimately, the car is fundamentally a better design,” said Hamilton, “so we can race and get close and follow each other closely, and I think that’s the best part of it. The power part, I think, is less exciting. I think it still continues to be a weird feeling."

Verstappen was the most blunt - what else is new - saying a package of rules to bring the power split between combustion power and electric energy to 60-40 is crucial for his F1 future, saying it is "mentally not doable" to face another year like 2026, regardless of whether or not his Red Bull power plant is competitive.

The F1 2026 regulations have split opinion and Verstappen is a huge critic

Photo by: Brett Farmer / LAT Images via Getty Images

"Most of the drivers, we’re the best in the world,” said the four-time world champion. “So even if you would give us a rental car, we’ll give you a good show and we’ll race each other very hard and well. So, it has nothing to do, in that sense, with the rules.”

Verstappen has never been stuck in the F1 bubble like some of his peers, but a thrilling entry in the Nurburgring 24 Hours further crystallised what he wants racing to be. A flat out contest of driver and machine.

Right now, he feels F1 is anything but: "For me F1 just needs to be more pure and I really hope that what they try to do next year will go through. Because I think that is the minimum necessary to make it a bit more natural and a bit more back to normal."

The fact that Ferrari, Audi and Honda are against a change for 2027, until now, seems more related to the aggressive timing than the changes themselves

Canada shows it's important not to throw everything onto one pile. It's not because the drivers are complaining that everything about F1 2026 is terrible. It's not because the racing is appealing to many - especially newer fans - that nothing can and should be done to restore the championship’s DNA. That nuance often goes lost, because fans and observers put a lot of emphasis on what the drivers think, and because F1's overlords have at times been heavy-handed in trying to convince diehard fans that everything is great.

F1 is now walking a tightrope between preserving that wheel-to-wheel action, which also means having energy deployment differences to help replace DRS as the main overtaking tool, and still giving drivers what they want by being able to simplify the workload behind the wheel and help them push flat out in qualifying. Have your cake and eat it too.

Is it possible? These rules may always be compromised until F1 reverts to a more old-school V8 based formula, but drivers and teams seem to agree that the proposal that's now on the table is a big step in the right direction.

The FIA is trying to push through a change for F1 2027 that will see a 60-40 split between engine and electric power

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Mercedes may feel it has the most to lose by opening up the engine rules while it is enjoying an advantage, a view which a senior team source using a different power unit described as “nonsense”. On the other hand there is a widespread fear that by opening up the engine homologation you leave the door ajar for Mercedes to become even stronger.

Without taking sides, the FIA has complicated matters by introducing the ADUO scheme, giving manufacturers opportunities to catch up for every two percent they are behind on V6 power. The mechanism was devised to avoid a repeat of 2017 Honda, which will now be used by ... 2026 Honda, with an even bigger handout having been recently pushed through.

But the fact that manufacturers can get extra cost cap allowance and dyno hours if they are only two or four percent behind seems to have been a poorly thought-out idea, as such a small deficit inevitably drags the ADUO conversation into the realm of political sabre-rattling on 2027, which continued at pace in the Montreal paddock and will likely carry on at next week's F1 Commission meeting.

In any case, the fact that Ferrari, Audi and Honda are against a change for 2027, until now, seems more related to the aggressive timing than the changes themselves, whether it be on cost grounds, human resource or the fear of falling further behind.

Meanwhile, drivers like Verstappen and Williams' Carlos Sainz are urging the FIA to remain "strong". But ultimately there isn't much the governing body can really do, as there doesn't seem to be much of an appetite to brute force changes through in the name of safety and expend a lot of political capital and goodwill. Oliver Bearman's crash in Japan was scary, but Miami's first round of tweaks has alleviated some concerns over closing speeds.

"I think there are implications that go beyond safety," McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said. "Ultimately, this is why the mediation of F1 and FIA I think will be crucial, and the conversation with the power unit manufacturers will be crucial."

It's much more desirable to come to a supermajority, then, which required four out of six power unit manufacturers to agree. If Audi and Honda come around to join Mercedes and Red Bull Ford, then the choice becomes much more straightforward. Either the changes happen with Ferrari's (and Cadillac's) approval, or without it.

At least four engine manufacturers need to vote in favour of the proposed 2027 changes

Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images