Piastri sees progress after F1 rule tweaks but says racing 'still pretty crazy'

Oscar Piastri acknowledges recent F1 rule changes have made a small improvement, but argues the fundamental issue of massive and unpredictable closing speeds between cars remains unresolved, making wheel-to-wheel racing extremely difficult for drivers.

Why it matters:

The core challenge of managing dramatic speed differentials directly impacts race safety and the quality of on-track competition. If drivers cannot predict or trust the closing speeds of rivals, it increases the risk of incidents and can stifle genuine racing battles, undermining the spectacle F1 aims to deliver.

The details:

• In response to early-season driver criticism, the FIA introduced tweaks for the Miami GP, including limiting energy harvesting in qualifying and revising power deployment rules.
• Piastri confirmed these changes helped in qualifying but stated "the races are basically exactly the same."
• The Australian described the experience from the cockpit as chaotic, citing an example where George Russell, starting one second behind him on a straight, was able to complete an overtake by the end of it.
• The Core Problem: The extreme closing speeds generated by hybrid power deployment make it "incredibly tough" for a defending driver to anticipate an attack and "pretty crazy" to manage.
• Piastri noted the paradox, admitting he later replicated a similar aggressive move on another driver because the speed advantage was so enormous.
• Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli echoed the sentiment, highlighting the additional challenge of trusting a defending driver due to the current car's "pretty lazy" response when changing direction with the active aero system.

What's next:

While praising the FIA and F1 for their collaborative and quick response, Piastri emphasized the limitations of mid-season fixes. He stated that "some changes in the future are still needed for sure," pointing to the underlying hardware and technical architecture of the cars as the root cause. The timeline for more fundamental solutions remains the "big question," suggesting this will be an ongoing point of discussion and development for the sport's stakeholders.