Overview
- Formula One’s governing body convened technical and sporting sessions after the first three races to consider tweaks to the new 50/50 engine‑battery rules, with more stakeholder talks planned before the Miami Grand Prix in early May.
- Mercedes remains the benchmark under the fresh regulations, with 19‑year‑old Kimi Antonelli taking two wins and leading the standings ahead of team‑mate George Russell after a run of front‑row lockouts.
- Red Bull’s struggles have been compounded by a wave of exits, including race‑engineer Gianpiero Lambiase’s move to McLaren as chief racing officer, and pundits Juan Pablo Montoya and Jolyon Palmer say this increases the chance Max Verstappen seeks a way out, which remains unconfirmed.
- Aston Martin’s start has been described by Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle as a “horror show,” with severe vibration and reliability woes from the Honda power unit leaving the team several seconds off the pace and facing a long rebuild despite catch‑up upgrade avenues under 2026 rules.
- Nigel Mansell backed driver complaints that the new cars reward battery harvesting and lift‑and‑coast over flat‑out pace, as the sport pauses until Miami following Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancellations that have concentrated fixes, hiring moves and speculation off track.