Oscar Piastri thinks there’s a lot of luck involved in getting a good start these days. Pre-season testing in Bahrain really made it clear that these new 2026 F1 rules have turned race starts into a much bigger headache.

He’s spoken up about this before, especially since so many teams and drivers are running into fresh problems under the new regs. The big one? F1 dropped the MGU-H from the engine formula, and suddenly, starts just aren’t as smooth. It’s a mess.

After last week’s first official test in Bahrain, Piastri didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the 2026 start a “recipe for disaster” because of how wildly different every driver’s launch is. Even the FIA and F1 noticed, so they decided to test out a longer starting procedure during the second test.

Here’s what they did: during the second test, they delayed the starting lights, giving drivers more time to spool up their turbos. Ferrari’s 2026 engine features a smaller turbo, allowing its drivers to maintain lower revs for longer periods. Others? They’re sitting there for up to ten seconds, just waiting.

Piastri says the new procedures and the extra week of testing in Bahrain helped a bit; things aren’t quite as all over the place now. But he’s honest: there’s still a ton of luck involved if you want to get a clean launch and avoid turbo lag or wheelspin.

Holding high revs to prime the turbo, now that the MGU-H is gone, is just one of the traps drivers can fall into. Piastri figures it’s going to take a while before all 22 drivers on the grid are nailing their starts every time.

He summed it up at the press conference in Bahrain: “Mine yesterday wasn’t so bad. I was last, but I also overtook four cars. There’s still a lot of luck involved, and we’re learning what makes a good start and what makes a bad one.

“There are a few pitfalls you can run into that cause problems. Managing the energy and the whole procedure – that’s one thing.

“The way we start is just totally different from last year. It’s trickier across the board. Some drivers are handling it; some just aren’t.”

On the other hand, McLaren looked like they were getting the hang of it by the last day of testing. Jolyon Palmer, watching from the sidelines, was impressed by Piastri’s practice start but even more blown away by Lando Norris.

Palmer thought McLaren had cracked the code. On Friday, Piastri shot off the line in the morning, but Norris outdid everyone in the final session. Palmer joked that Norris hit “warp speed".

He said on the F1 broadcast, “Warp speed, see you mate! That’s a brilliant start from Lando. McLaren is there. I’ve seen it all day. Oscar got a great start. In the pit lane, it looks good.

“I’d love to see that next to the Ferrari, honestly, because it’s really impressive. Their start is much better than Red Bull’s. I’d say it’s even better than Mercedes.”

Drivers keep saying the new power unit rules force them into this super aggressive energy management, and honestly, even fans and commentators are having a hard time figuring out what’s actually happening on track.

Ivan Capelli, who used to drive for Ferrari, basically admitted on Sky Italia, “Yeah, even for us, it’s tough to see what drivers are doing with these cars right now.” Still, he trusts Liberty Media to break things down for everyone with better graphics and explanations.

Meanwhile, the FIA isn’t just sitting around. Behind the scenes, they’ve already started looking at backup plans. During the Bahrain test, they asked teams to try running with less peak electric motor power, just to see if it could work as a fallback.

Carlos Sainz, talking to DAZN, didn’t mince words. He said the sport needs to stay flexible.

“My message to FOM and the FIA is that we should keep an open mind at the start of the year, in case the rules around how much energy we have to recover per lap are just too much,” he said.

He didn’t sugarcoat it. “Everything I’ve tried feels totally different and slower than last season. Overall, it’s just worse. We get a bit more power for two or three seconds on the straight compared to last year, but then it drops off fast, and we have to claw that energy back.”

All Sainz really wants is some flexibility. If the power-to-energy ratio isn’t right for certain tracks, he says they need to adjust so drivers aren’t forced into weird strategies on the straights.

But not everyone thinks it’s a big deal. Ralf Schumacher, another ex-driver, thinks people are overreacting.

“Let’s not panic,” he said. “Every time new rules come in, there’s a rush to judge. People just need to take a breath.”

Schumacher also warned that top drivers trashing the new rules could actually hurt the sport. He reminded everyone that these changes are meant to bring in big names like Audi, Honda, and GM.

“Let’s not forget why these rules exist in the first place,” he said. “This was absolutely the right call.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali isn’t worried, either. He brushed off any talk of emergency changes.

“I’m sure we’ll get another amazing show this year,” he said. “From a fan’s view, nothing has changed. The fastest driver will still win.”

Domenicali even talked directly with Max Verstappen after Max called the new rules “Formula E on steroids".

“We had a good conversation. Max is the future of Formula 1, so it’s important to hear him out,” Domenicali said.

But he’s not rushing into anything drastic.

“Let’s actually start the season before talking about Plan B. Big rule changes always bring doubts. In the end, there’s a technical solution for everything.”