F1 drivers largely backed Miami rule tweaks on safety, but said the spectacle still needs more fundamental change in the hybrid era.
Miami is not just another stop on the calendar this week, with Formula One drivers arriving to a revised rule set and a familiar argument over what the sport is becoming.
At the official news conference ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, most drivers said the latest changes, framed as safety measures, should help reduce certain risks linked to “super-clipping” and battery power harvesting.. The focus has been on limiting danger, while drivers also made clear that the tweaks alone may not be enough to bring the racing experience they want.
In this context, it matters because Miami is a test of whether small technical adjustments can reshape how fans perceive F1, especially in a hybrid era that many still describe as overly managed.
Max Verstappen, who has struggled this season and has been outspoken about the direction of F1’s rules, struck a cautiously constructive note.. He pointed to what he described as productive discussions between drivers, F1 and the FIA, while also adding that there is room for deeper involvement from drivers in decisions that affect the sport’s “product.”
He suggested drivers have a clear understanding of what is needed, even as the sport remains complex and shaped by political dynamics. “It won’t change the world,” he said, but the message was that more influence and more meaningful steps are required.
That perspective matters because when top drivers publicly connect regulation to the identity of the sport, it raises pressure for solutions beyond short-term safety patches.
Lance Stroll took the sharpest tone at the conference, arguing that the revised approach is fundamentally flawed and less enjoyable than what he views as the more straightforward racing on the ladder system.. Others chose a different framing, acknowledging that the rules have moved in the right direction while still leaving big questions unanswered about overall racing quality.
Nico Hulkenberg called the update “a step in the right direction,” saying he wanted to see how the changes translate on track.. Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, said the collaboration behind the tweaks produced sensible adjustments, including changes aimed at reducing the performance and speed imbalance between cars running at maximum power and those slowing to harvest battery power.
The issue is not limited to lap times, though. Many drivers and observers have long criticized how battery management can steer races into something more controlled by systems than by direct driver action.
Piastri also pointed to a recent safety moment: after Oliver Bearman’s crash in Japan, drivers felt action was needed.. He said the decision to listen after that incident made the tweaks feel positive, but urged that the sport should now wait and see how the changes perform from a safety standpoint during real racing.
Ultimately, the concern going into Miami is that safety improvements are necessary but not sufficient. If F1 wants a stronger show, drivers and organisers may need to move from tweaks aimed at reducing risk to broader changes that reshape the racing itself, not just the rules around it.