Oscar Piastri warns of 'recipe for disaster' with 2026 F1 starts

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has labeled the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 race starts a potential "recipe for disaster," calling for urgent discussions to address safety concerns and the complexities of overtaking under the new regulations before the Australian Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

The 2026 technical overhaul represents the biggest shift in F1 in a generation, and driver feedback during pre-season testing is critical for identifying and mitigating risks before cars hit the track for real. Piastri's stark warning highlights that fundamental aspects of racing—starts and passing—are under threat, which could compromise both competition and safety if not resolved.

The details:

• Piastri's primary concern centers on the race start procedure, which he describes as overly complicated. He fears a bad start in 2026 could be catastrophic, akin to a Formula 2 start where a driver might drop multiple positions or even stall, rather than just losing a few meters.
• He clarified that a chaotic practice start session in Bahrain was due to mixed instructions among teams, not a flaw with the new 50/50 hybrid power units.
• The removal of DRS adds another layer of complexity. Overtaking will now rely on managing electrical energy boosts, which requires harvesting energy before deployment—a process Piastri calls "not always that straightforward."
• While following another car feels similar to 2023, the combination of significantly less downforce and powerful acceleration out of corners makes the 2026 cars "difficult to drive and tricky."
• Piastri is not alone in his apprehension. While some drivers like Lando Norris found the cars "a lot of fun," others including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso have expressed various concerns about the new regulations.

What's next:

Piastri emphasized that there are "plenty of topics to address" between teams, the FIA, and Formula One Management before the season opener in Melbourne. Finding a standardized, safe start procedure that works for all engine manufacturers will be a top priority, alongside optimizing the new overtaking mechanics. The sport is in a crucial phase of refining these radical new rules based on real-world testing feedback.