Ferrari’s promise, Aston Martin’s woes and the arguments about Formula 1’s new regulations all feature in this month’s Autosport magazine, out today (9 April).
Three rounds into F1’s latest era and some things are becoming clear. Mercedes has an edge, Kimi Antonelli is learning fast, and Ferrari and McLaren aren’t that far off the pace. And these regulations are perhaps the most polarising in championship history.
There’s been a lot of noise, some of it perfectly legitimate, some bordering on misinformation. So, what do we know?
The 2026 F1 cars are more nimble and can follow closer than their predecessors, and there is more wheel-to-wheel racing. All three grands prix so far have featured some great passing – not all has simply been due to differences in deployment of electrical power – and the 2026 Japanese GP was much more entertaining than last year’s soporific affair. But, clearly, that’s not the end of the story.
When Charles Leclerc, arguably the most exciting qualifier of his generation, says that his reward for pushing harder in Q3 is for his Ferrari to go slower on the straights because of the way the computers manage electrical energy, something has gone awry. There’s still a skill in qualifying, but ‘energy management’ isn’t something that should be coming into the one moment over a GP weekend when the cars are supposed to be flat-out, no-holds-barred.
Lando Norris saying he didn’t even want to pass Lewis Hamilton into the chicane but was forced to because the car decided it should be deploying electrical energy also rings alarm bells. Not only does it remove a crucial skill for the driver, but it could create unnecessary danger.
Ollie Bearman’s Suzuka crash, caused by the Briton being caught out by the closing speed on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, brought safety back to the top of the agenda.
In this month’s issue, as well as taking a look at Ferrari’s challenge to take on Mercedes, we investigate the pros and cons of the new rules, delve into what people are saying about them, and ponder what could be done.
Outside of F1, we have appreciations of important sportscar figure Bob Tullius and rally legend Sandro Munari, both of whom died recently, while Marcus Simmons talks to key players about the new Plato Racing team that is set to shake up the British Touring Car Championship.
For the best motorsport coverage, from F1 to Britain’s club-racing scene via the Le Mans 24 Hours, why not get Autosport magazine delivered to your door each month? Subscribe today and never miss your fix of motorsport: autosportmedia.com/offer/Autosport
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– The Autosport.com Team
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