Samwise F1 Newsletter
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Next Race: Miami Grand Prix | May 1-3F1’s Six-Point Plan to Rescue 2026 Before Miami Grand Prix
F1 stakeholders will convene on April 9 for a crunch summit addressing the 2026 regulations, with The Race revealing six solutions under active consideration. Three priority areas dominate the agenda: safety following Ollie Bearman’s 50G Suzuka crash, the damaged qualifying spectacle caused by excessive energy management, and the demoralising speed drop-off at straight-line ends. Proposed fixes include raising super-clipping power from 250kW to 350kW, slashing maximum energy recovery from 9MJ to as low as 6MJ per lap, expanding active-aero straight-mode zones, and stripping out the algorithmic complexity that has confused both drivers and power units. All changes must be ratified before the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
Source: The Race
Norris Reveals the 2026 Yo-Yo Reality: ‘I Don’t Want to Overtake, But I Can’t Control It’
McLaren’s Lando Norris admitted after the Japanese Grand Prix that some of his overtakes on Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka were entirely unintentional. A 2026 power unit rule forces MGU-K deployment whenever throttle dips below 98% and then reapplied — regardless of driver intent. “It’s just my battery deploys, I don’t want it to deploy, but I can’t control it,” Norris said. “This is not racing, this is yo-yoing.” Max Verstappen added that at Suzuka’s layout, overtaking was “basically impossible” because deploying on one long straight left nothing for the next. McLaren principal Andrea Stella called for regulatory freedom allowing engineers to define where the forced-deployment rule does not apply.
Source: The Race
The Qualifying Trick That Annoyed Ferrari and Alarmed the FIA
Mercedes and Red Bull discovered a loophole allowing their MGU-K to cut from full 350kW to zero in a single step at the end of qualifying laps, gaining a small but meaningful advantage by extending full-power deployment. The exploit uses an emergency shutdown provision but triggers a 60-second lockout — leaving Alex Albon stranded on track in Japan and forcing Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen to limp through high-speed corners. The FIA contacted Mercedes about safety implications, and The Race understands the team stopped using the trick for the rest of the Japan weekend. Ferrari has raised the practice with the FIA, calling it unintended rule exploitation.
Source: The Race
Ferrari’s April Blueprint: Monza Filming Day, Macarena Wing, and an ADUO Lifeline
Ferrari has mapped out an intensive April programme targeting Miami. A revised floor originally destined for the cancelled Bahrain race is the headline upgrade, alongside aerodynamic refinements and cooling improvements. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will share a 200km Monza filming day on April 22 to validate the package on a circuit demanding similar energy management to Miami. Ferrari is also working to produce a race-legal version of its “Macarena” rear wing — the China prototype was rejected for lacking rear stability under combined braking. The team expects to qualify for additional power unit development under the ADUO system, with Ferrari sitting roughly 20bhp behind Mercedes.
Source: The Race
Aston Martin’s Secret Vibration Fix Left Alonso in the Dark at Suzuka
Aston Martin trialled an experimental vibration-damping component in Suzuka Friday practice, with Fernando Alonso reporting the chronic steering-wheel problem was “80% better.” The team quietly removed the parts before qualifying — citing reliability risks of racing untested components — without fully informing Alonso, who had arrived late after the birth of his first child. The two-time champion remained baffled throughout the weekend about why the vibrations returned. Chief trackside officer Mike Krack confirmed the fix showed “some promise” and targets its proper introduction at Miami. Despite Aston Martin’s ongoing woes, Alonso completed Japan’s race distance — the team’s first classified grand prix finish of 2026.
Source: The Race
Alpine’s Open Letter: No Colapinto Sabotage — and the Abuse Must Stop
Alpine dismissed social media claims of team sabotage against Franco Colapinto in an open letter published April 2. Specification differences at Shanghai resulted from an emergency gearbox change requiring older parts — not deliberate discrimination. The letter affirmed both drivers run “the same equipment” and pledged transparency when upgrades reach one car first. Alpine also condemned abuse directed at Colapinto following his involvement in Ollie Bearman’s Suzuka crash — an incident the FIA reviewed with no further action, citing the dangerous speed differential as a consequence of the 2026 regulations. The team also apologised for not calling out abuse aimed at Esteban Ocon sooner after the China collision.
Source: The Race
Stroll Swaps F1 Seat for GT Cockpit During the Extended April Break
Lance Stroll will make his GT racing debut at the GT World Challenge Europe season opener at Circuit Paul Ricard on April 12, filling the gap left by the cancelled Bahrain Grand Prix. The Aston Martin F1 driver will share a Vantage GT3 with Roberto Merhi and Aston Martin Academy driver Mari Boya in the Pro-class six-hour race. Stroll has endurance experience from the 2016 and 2018 Daytona 24 Hours but has never competed in GT machinery. He is the only current F1 driver without a classified grand prix finish in 2026, with Aston Martin and Honda’s troubled campaign leaving him yet to complete race distance in three attempts.
Source: The Race
Championship Standings
Drivers: 1. K. Antonelli (72) | 2. G. Russell (63) | 3. C. Leclerc (49)
Constructors: 1. Mercedes (135) | 2. Ferrari (90) | 3. McLaren (56)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.