Podcast: Under-fire F1 is set to change rules after just two races

F1 Show
March 12, 2026
- Last updated: April 15th 2026

Motor Sport F1 Show with Mark Hughes
F1 is expected to address criticism of the 2026 cars with a quickfire rule change within weeks. Plus: Arvid Lindblad's fantastic debut, and why is McLaren lagging Mercedes?

March 12, 2026

One race into the season and Formula 1 is under fire from fans and drivers alike over its “flawed” racing that brought plenty of overtaking in Melbourne, but with an artificial taste.

Art the same time, the series is being urged to get a grip over safety fears dues to enormous speed differences between cars that are deploying and harvesting energy at varying times.

Now, change looks to be imminent, with F1 expected to tweak to its regulations before the third race of the year later this month. Mark Hughes explains the controversy and the likely fix in this latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show.

With presenter Bryn Lucas, he also explores why McLaren was so much slower than Mercedes, despite having the same engine; reflects back on a fantastic debut for Arvid Lindblad; and looks ahead to this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.

Plus, Mark answers your questions: is dirty air still an issue with the new generation of cars? How much influence did engine guru Andy Cowell have over Honda’s development of Aston Martin’s underwhelming power unit; and why did the team make Adrian Newey its new boss?

We’ll feature more listener questions next week. Don’t forget to post yours below:

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Motor Sport F1 Show

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