McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “In general, the reason for adding a 350kW super-clip is that we would like to avoid drivers having to do a lift and coast. Because if there is a lift and coast, there is an even bigger speed differential with the car that is following.
“It is a case that should be studied with a certain level of analytical approach. I don’t think a simple solution exists.
“It is in the agenda of (governing body) the FIA in terms of the aspects of these 2026 regulations that should be improved. We don’t want to wait for things to happen to put actions in place. We have a responsibility to put in place the actions that, especially from a safety point of view, should be implemented.”
There has been an effort from F1, and by extension from the teams, to emphasise the positive aspects of the new regulations, as some see them.
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff pointed out after the previous race in China that he and F1 president Stefano Domenicali had discussed the positive reaction from the audience to the new form of racing, which in all three races so far has featured cars passing and re-passing for several laps before the positions stabilise.
Wolff said in Japan on Sunday: “Nobody can complain about the lack of good racing. Would you agree? Yeah or not?”
When the assembled media paused in responding, Wolff said: “Experts. Old-school traditionalists.”
But that remark could also be addressed at some of the drivers. Verstappen has likened the new F1 to the “Mario Kart” computer game. Fernando Alonso has called it “the battery world championship”.
Sainz said: “The racing is OK because maybe they are having fun watching on TV. But from a driver’s standpoint you realise there can be 50km/h speed delta. That is not racing. There is no [other] category in the world with these closing speeds. It’s when these accidents can happen.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, second behind race winner Kimi Antonelli on Sunday, said: “We understand as a sport there’s a lot of things we need to tweak, a lot of things we need to change. And especially on safety grounds, yes, there’s some things that need to be looked into pretty quickly.”
