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Formula 1's new power unit regulations have introduced an unexpected and frankly bizarre phenomenon to race starts: drivers revving their engines for 10–15 seconds before even touching the throttle. This isn't driver error or mechanical malfunction—it's the new normal for preparing a 2026 F1 car to launch.
The culprit is the removal of the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit-Heat) from the 1.6-litre hybrid V6 engines. Without this electrical assist to pre-spin the turbocharger, teams now rely entirely on sustained engine revving to build exhaust energy and spool the turbine closer to its effective operating speed, reducing turbo lag before acceleration begins. For observers watching practice starts during testing, the experience is jarring—a car pulls into position, selects first gear, and then just... sits there, revving aggressively while producing a piercing, crackling exhaust note that seems to go on forever.
The extended preparation time creates a critical problem: drivers at the back of the grid simply don't have enough time to get their engines into the optimal launch window. The current race start procedure—with five red lights illuminating at one-second intervals—typically allows less than 10 seconds between the final car stopping on the grid and the lights extinguishing. For drivers near the rear, this interval is insufficient to achieve the proper turbo boost, meaning some cars launch cleanly while others struggle dramatically.
"The difference between a good and bad start last year was wheelspin or a bad reaction time, whereas this year it could be like an F2 race where you almost go into anti-stall or something," explained McLaren's Oscar Piastri. "You could be losing six or seven spots if it goes wrong."
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, emphasized the urgency of the safety implications: "We need to make sure that the race start procedure allows all cars to have the power unit ready to go because the grid is not the place in which you want to have cars slow in taking off."
The FIA is actively exploring solutions ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, with discussions expected at the F1 Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The most likely modification involves extending the minimum time between when the final car forms up on the grid and the lights sequence begins.
Ferrari previously blocked a similar rule change, though multiple drivers and team officials have now escalated the matter as a priority safety concern rather than a competitive advantage issue. The goal is straightforward: ensure all drivers have sufficient time to achieve clean, consistent launches—not when their specific turbo is in the perfect window, but when the lights actually go out.
For now, F1's strangest audio spectacle remains a work in progress, with engineers, drivers, and officials united in acknowledging that 2026's race starts are unlike anything the sport has witnessed before.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.