Will Buxton has applauded Formula 1 and the FIA for responding to criticism of the 2026 regulations with changes ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, and for implementing the tweaks quickly.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton argued that it is unusual for adjustments to be introduced so quickly in the modern era of the championship, especially with the demanding race calendar.
"First thing that I've got to say with all of this is that there was a lot of talk that changes weren't going to come immediately because we're facing two sprint races coming up," Buxton explained. "Would it be better to wait until the sprint races had passed? Even getting past a race weekend like Monaco, would it be better to wait until they're done?
"I've got to take my hat off, honestly, to Formula 1, to the FIA, to the teams, and to the drivers, that they've actually gone through this process rapidly and they've listened clearly to what the fans are saying, to the teams, and to the drivers.
"They've rung the changes immediately because I think we've quite fairly given the new rules a bit of a hard time. But you've also got to then come out and be fair and say, 'Well, they've acted.'
"They could have just bided their time wisely. They could have stuck their heads in the sand and gone, 'Numbers are great, everything's brilliant, we've got loads of passes on track, what you're talking about is great.' But they haven't. They've listened, they've worked together. All the stakeholders have come on board and said, 'Yep, let's make some changes.'"
The refined regulations include adjusting the energy management parameters, reducing the maximum recharge limit to 7MJ, increasing peak super clip power to 350kW and capping race boost at +150kW to prevent dangerous closing speeds between cars.
A low-power start detection system that automatically triggers the MGU-K to prevent grid collisions has also been introduced, along with increased intermediate tyre blanket temperatures for better wet-weather grip.
FIA confirms 2026 F1 rule changes ahead of Miami Grand Prix
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