Piastri sees progress after F1 rule tweaks but ‘it’s still pretty crazy’

The debate around Formula 1’s evolving regulations has reignited following last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri offering a measured but critical assessment of the sport’s recent adjustments.

While the FIA moved quickly to address concerns about racing dynamics, the Australian driver insists the changes have only partially eased deeper issues.

After securing a podium finish in Miami, Piastri acknowledged incremental progress – but made clear that Formula 1 still has work to do if it wants to deliver consistent, predictable racing.

In response to growing criticism from drivers following the opening three races of the championship, the sport introduced a suite of regulation tweaks ahead of the Miami race. These included limits on energy harvesting in qualifying and revised power deployment rules aimed at smoothing performance gaps and reducing dramatic closing speeds between cars.

For Piastri, the impact was noticeable – but somewhat limited.

“I think reducing the harvest limit in qualifying has helped a bit. It’s not fixed the problem or all the problems, but it’s helping with one,” said the Aussie.

“The races are basically exactly the same, and I think today was my first proper experience of overtaking people and then having to defend and stuff like that.”

Despite the adjustments, the on-track product still reflects many of the same characteristics that have drawn criticism this season – particularly the unpredictable surges in speed driven by hybrid power deployment.

High-speed unpredictability still a major issue

A central concern remains the extreme closing speeds between cars, an issue that has been under scrutiny since several high-profile incidents earlier in the season. Piastri described the experience from the cockpit as still chaotic and difficult to manage.

“It’s pretty crazy, to be honest,” he said. “At one point George [Russell] was one second behind me and managed to overtake me by the end of that straight.

“It’s just a bit random. The closing speeds are huge and trying to anticipate that as the defending driver is incredibly tough to do.

“Obviously for the overtaking driver, I wasn’t that pleased with one of the moves that George did, but I kind of found myself almost doing the same move about five laps later, just because the closing speed is enormous.

“So from that side of things, not much has really changed.

“I think the collaboration again from the FIA and F1 has been good, but there are only so many things you can change with the hardware we have.

“So some changes in the future are still needed for sure. How quickly we can do it is the big question.”

Piastri’s comments highlight a core tension within the sport: while regulatory tweaks can adjust behavior at the margins, the underlying technical architecture of the cars continues to shape racing in ways that are difficult to control mid-season.

Drivers united on need for further evolution

Miami race winner Kimi Antonelli was on the same page as Piastri, pointing to the same challenges during his own battles on track – particularly in wheel-to-wheel combat.

“Races, the closing speed, as I said, is massive,” said the Mercedes driver. “And you also need to trust the guy who is defending because also with this active aero, the car is pretty lazy when you want to change direction, so you need to think in advance.

“But it was a small step in the right direction and let’s see what’s going to happen next.”

Formula 1’s leadership has shown willingness to react quickly, collaborating with teams and manufacturers to refine the ruleset. Yet, as Piastri noted, there are limits to what can be achieved without more fundamental changes.

For now, the Miami Grand Prix has reinforced a familiar narrative: progress is being made, but the balance between innovation, safety, and racing quality remains a moving target.

Read also:

• Piastri: McLaren not yet back to best level, but ‘getting there’

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