For the 2026 season, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body of Formula One, implemented a new set of regulations. One of the biggest changes to the cars as a result were the upgraded features of the battery. The battery works by allowing the driver to drain the battery in order to get a boost down straights, leading some drivers to compare this to the feeling of a ‘Mario Kart’ mushroom. How drivers recharge their batteries is the main issue surrounding the matter; they have to slow their pace down and harvest energy to put towards their battery. Obviously, slowing down a car on track when other racers are going 150+ mph is highly unsafe. With drivers slowing down, the closing rates (closing distance between two cars) spike up too. This causes more and more unsafe conditions on a track. This sparked concerns surrounding the safety and wellbeing of Formula One drivers.
During the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman suffered a 50G crash after being forced to avoid Franco Colapinto recharging his battery out of a blind corner, thus catching Bearman off guard, and sending him into the wall. According to MSN, Williams driver Carlos Sainz expressed his concerns on the matter by stating, “Here, we were lucky there was an escape road– now imagine going to Baku, Singapore, Las Vegas and having this type of closing speeds, crashes next to the walls.” These concerns are very real, as Bearman still suffered 50G’s, 50 times the force of gravity, after sliding on gravel traps for a couple of seconds before making impact. On street races there are no gravel traps or run offs, meaning incidents could have a much worse outcome, leading to the basis of Sainz’s concerns. Another instance of this danger was during the Miami Grand Prix. Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, suffered a chilling flip during the opening laps of the race leaving him upside down in a barrier. Though in years past drivers have flipped too, this instance of Gasly flipping was almost effortless; Gasly only suffered a tiny hit but it sent the car flying.
Incidents like these are why drivers in years past fought for safety. Following legendary driver Ayrton Senna’s tragic crash, the FIA increased safety procedures: stronger materials and safer track standards were put into place. In 2018, Formula One and the FIA implemented the halo protective device, which helps keep the drivers head safe in the cockpit, and it already started saving many lives out of the gate. Drivers have been fighting rules, regulations, and safety concerns throughout F1’s lifespan. The new regulations are once again calling for drivers to fight against them more than ever. So far, the FIA is trying to do their best to combat this but to little to no avail so far, though they have heard the drivers’ complaints.
