Overview
- FIA officials, in letters to teams on Tuesday, told manufacturers the MGU-K emergency shutdown may be used only for genuine faults and not as a qualifying aid.
- The trick worked by shutting the MGU-K to bypass the rule that cuts electrical power by 50 kW per second, letting cars hold maximum deployment to the line for a 50–100 kW boost worth hundredths of a second.
- Safety worries grew after Japan practice, where Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen limped with little hybrid power and Alex Albon stopped on track in his Williams.
- Ferrari asked the FIA to clarify the practice, and the 60‑second lockout after a shutdown remains in place as officials plan to check SECU telemetry to spot non‑emergency use.
- Several outlets report that improper activations could be treated as a technical breach carrying harsh sanctions, though the FIA has not published specific penalties.