Martin Brundle Calls for FIA to Address Flawed Power Delivery System
Martin Brundle has raised concerns about the current power delivery system in Formula 1, describing it as “fundamentally flawed.” His comments come after Ollie Bearman’s high-speed crash at the Japanese Grand Prix. The incident occurred when Bearman had to take evasive action while approaching Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who was harvesting energy during the race at Suzuka.
After veering onto the grass, Bearman lost control and crashed into the barriers. Fortunately, he managed to walk away from the wreckage and was later cleared by on-site medics. Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Brundle defended Colapinto, suggesting that there was no malicious intent involved.
“Franco Colapinto, I don’t think there was any malice in there. He could have given him a bit more space. I suspect he was looking down at his steering wheel, trying to work out what was going on with a gutless racing car underneath him that wasn’t accelerating.”
Brundle noted that the high closing speeds and sudden deceleration are not new issues in the championship. However, he argued that modern power units should not include self-learning aspects.
“It’s always been an issue. It’s been an issue at Le Mans. It’s been an issue in Formula 1, cars slowing down in front of you with engine problems or whatever. But back in the day, we probably had some clues that was going to happen. You could smell the oil burning, see some smoke, or hear an engine misfire.”
He also pointed out that the closing speeds in qualifying were much higher in the past, particularly when turbos and qualifying tyres were used. “You had to manage it. So, let’s not pretend that’s a 2026-only issue.”
Brundle highlighted a specific concern raised by Lando Norris, who mentioned that his battery decided to overtake Lewis Hamilton without his input. “Now, there’s a regulation in Formula 1. It’s been around forever. It’s very simple and far-reaching. The driver must drive the car alone and unaided. The driver shouldn’t have any surprises by a self-learning car.”
He emphasized that the power delivery must be proportional to what the driver is doing with the throttle. “It has to be linear, as I said. It’s a big issue for the FIA because its driver safety is sacrosanct.”
Priorities for the FIA
Brundle outlined the priorities for the FIA, stating that the top priority is the fans, followed by the marshals, pitstop crew, and finally the drivers. “The cars are pretty safe. Everybody’s health and safety is sacrosanct, but the FIA will now have to make a change for Miami because the drivers have voiced this.”
He believes that the drivers have raised their concerns through the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. “If a car flies into the crowd now and they haven’t done something, shown some due diligence on this, then the FIA will be in for the high jump.”
Challenges Ahead
Despite the concerns, Brundle acknowledges that the FIA is facing challenges. “We’re between a rock and a hard place really on this because the hardware is just not up to it. And we’ve talked about this for three years now. We knew it was going to be like this.”
He concluded that the current system is fundamentally flawed, but there is potential to smooth out some of these elements. “I think they should be able to smooth some of these elements out.”
