Formula One goes into an unexpected break — only one Grand Prix, in early May in Miami, is scheduled to take place for nearly two months — after races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled as war in West Asia rages on. Enforced as the break may be, it may give F1’s stakeholders some much-needed time to ponder over existential issues that may boil over as the start of their new era — under fresh technical regulations — has been received in underwhelming fashion.

The annual Japanese Grand Prix is a usual highlight on the calendar but Sunday’s race at the historic, high-speed Suzuka International Circuit caused plenty of cynicism. A high-speed crash, with images of British driver Oliver Bearman limping out of his vehicle, raised safety concerns in the paddock. One of the sport’s biggest stars, four-time World champion Max Verstappen, said he was considering stepping away from F1 altogether, claiming the pinnacle of motorsport now feels like it is ‘anti-driving.’ The competitive balance at the start of the season has already ebbed away as the Mercedes team has emerged with three out of three race wins.

At the heart of the problems are the new regulations; part of F1’s pitch to advertise hybrid engine capabilities and maximise commercial opportunities as their sport receives more eyeballs than ever before.

New complications

The revamped regulations are part of a rules overhaul that regularly takes place in F1 every five to seven years. This time, they were billed as the most sweeping ever.

At their heart is the hybrid engine, which receives power from both internal combustion technology and electrical energy equally. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of mechanical engineering here, how it’s impacting the drivers is rather simple. It has made conservation of energy a key tenet of racing. The drivers are having to ‘lift and coast’ — to ease off the accelerator and coast into the corners.

This has been derided by them, as it takes away the human element of racing. Before this year, the best drivers would eke out the advantage by taking the maximum risk of going faster into corners, especially on circuits like Suzuka, where the corners enable them to do that. But it has also impacted qualifying sessions; the Saturday action on race weekends has become a bit of a dud with the cars never going at their all-out maximum speed.

The lift-and-coast style around the corners can lead to loss of as much as 450 horsepower, making the speed differential a safety issue. Lando Norris called these probably the worst cars to race, conflicted since he was aware of the need to adapt, while Carlo Sainz reckoned driving did not “feel real.” Verstappen and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc have called the boost-heavy cars “Mario Kart”, with its mushroom surge, akin to a video game. George Russell called it a different challenge, albeit a valid tester of skill.

Horror crash

The complications with these new rules haven’t just prompted existential concerns, but those of genuine physical harm too. It was evident in Bearman’s crash on Sunday.

The Briton was driving his Haas F1 car at top speed while the driver in front of him, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, through no fault of his, was going relatively slow while trying to conserve energy. A frightening pace differential between them — around 50 kmph — caused Bearman to suddenly go off track, lose control of his car, and crash into the barriers. The consensus from the paddock was that he was fortunate to leave Suzuka unhurt.

The drivers had pointed out these safety concerns in the past. The reigning world champion, McLaren’s Lando Norris, had warned in February: “We are going to have a big accident… Depending on what drivers do, you can have closing speeds of 30-50kmph, and when someone hits another driver at that speed you are going to fly and go over the fence and do a lot of damage to yourself and maybe to others, and that is a pretty horrible thing to think about.”

Norris was among several drivers who had been critical of the new regulations. But none more so than Verstappen.

“I’m thinking about everything inside this paddock,” the Dutchman told the BBC after Sunday’s race. “You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But ⁠normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”

Many, including Red Bull’s own team principal, Laurent Meckies, believe that Verstappen’s angst will ease once he is given a more competitive car. But the prospect of F1’s most consistent top performer — widely believed to be the pre-eminent driver of his generation — walking away from the sport due to his disapproval of technical rules would be a massive public embarrassment. So, too, would a repeat of Bearman’s crash. A lucky escape cannot be counted on every time an incident of that nature, already predicted by the drivers, occurs.

The sports governing body, the FIA, has bought time. But eight weeks look like a considerably short period to solve these complex issues.