Checkered Weekend: F1 Regulation Fixes, Roczen Closes to Within One Point, Dye Gets Cup Shot at Talladega & Lawson Eyes Supercars Future

F1 Agrees Unanimous Regulation Changes Ahead of Miami

Following Oliver Bearman's 50G crash at the Japanese Grand Prix and weeks of discussion between the FIA, Formula 1, the teams, and power unit manufacturers, all parties reached unanimous agreement on Monday on a package of regulation adjustments set to take effect at the Miami Grand Prix.

The changes are centered on energy management, targeting two specific issues that have defined the early part of the 2026 season: closing speed safety and the quality of qualifying. On the safety side, super clipping will be increased from 250 kilowatts to the maximum of 350 kilowatts from Miami onward, allowing drivers to recover more energy while remaining at full throttle. The change is designed to reduce unpredictable lift-and-coast moments that have been a contributing factor in dangerous closing speed situations.

On the qualifying side, the harvesting limit during a qualifying lap has been reduced from 8 megajoules to 7 megajoules, which will make the cars slightly slower but reduce the need for aggressive energy management strategies that have made qualifying laps feel less on the limit than in previous seasons.

A new low power start detection system will also be tested at the next race weekend. The system identifies cars with abnormally low acceleration after clutch release and automatically triggers a minimum level of MGU-K deployment to prevent a stationary car from becoming a crash hazard. An associated flashing warning light on the rear and sides of affected cars will alert following drivers. Additional changes were agreed for wet conditions, including higher tyre blanket temperatures for intermediates, reduced ERS deployment, and simplified rear light systems.

Roczen Dominates Cleveland Triple Crown to Close Within One Point

The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made a visit to Cleveland it's first since 1995, and the conditions at Huntington Bank Field matched the drama of the occasion. Rain, cold temperatures, and swirling winds set the stage for Round 14 of the 2026 season, which ended with Ken Roczen claiming his fourth win of the year and closing to within a single point of the championship lead.

The Triple Crown format split the 450SMX Class racing across three 12 Minute + 1 Lap Main Events, with points awarded across all three races determining the overall result.

Lawrence took an early stranglehold on the afternoon by winning Race 1 wire to wire. He grabbed the holeshot, built a multi-second lead over Roczen and Justin Cooper, and was never seriously challenged. Roczen settled for second and Cooper finished third.

Race 2 went to Cooper, who led from the holeshot and held on for a two-second victory over Roczen. Sexton finished third and Lawrence, after a difficult start deep in the field, fought back to fifth.

Race 3 proved decisive. Roczen grabbed the holeshot and immediately went to work, building a five-second lead over Cooper Webb in the opening laps. Lawrence, who started eighth, crashed in the whoops and dropped outside the top 10. He remounted but crashed again shortly after while trying to recover, falling to 14th. Up front, Roczen was untouchable, winning by 8.7 seconds over Webb, with Justin Hill passing Chase Sexton on the final lap for third. Cooper recovered to seventh and Lawrence soldiered home in 14th.

Roczen's 2-2-1 scorecard across the three races earned him five overall points for the day, comfortably ahead of Webb and Cooper who each finished with 11 points. Lawrence's 1-5-14 effort left him with 20 points and sixth overall on the day.

The championship standings entering the final three rounds now show Lawrence leading Roczen by just one point. Tomac, who missed the entire day after a qualifying crash left him with a hip injury, falls to fourth and is now 31 points out of the lead.

"I had no idea I was one point back in the championship," Roczen said. "After I got the holeshot in the last race I had a clear track and just felt really comfortable. Once I had a gap, I just made sure I didn't do anything silly. I'm just so grateful I'm able to ride like this."

Supercross heads to Philadelphia next where we will be boots on the ground.

Dye Gets Cup Debut at Talladega, Youtuber Heading to Nashville With RCR

Daniel Dye will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, driving the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet as part of a four-race agreement that also includes Pocono on June 14, the Daytona cutoff race on August 29, and the fall Talladega round on October 25.

The 22-year-old returns to competition following a suspension handed down by NASCAR and Kaulig Racing after insensitive comments he made about IndyCar driver David Malukas on a livestream. Dye completed the required sensitivity training and made his return last weekend, finishing second in the ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas Speedway.

Dye brings Champion Container Corp as primary sponsor for the four-race run and Talladega will be his first Cup appearance.

In a separate development, YouTuber Garrett Mitchell aka Cleetus McFarland will make his second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Nashville on May 30, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet again. McFarland had planned to run Talladega as his second start but was not approved by NASCAR for the larger tracks on the schedule at this stage. Tommy's Express Car Wash will again back the effort.

Lawson Eyes Supercars But Denies Imminent Plans

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson confirmed this week that he would love to compete in the Supercars Championship at some point in his career, but denied reports that he was set to enter the New Zealand rounds in Taupo and Christchurch during Formula 1's April break.

The 24-year-old said he arrived home in New Zealand to find widespread reports claiming he was racing Supercars within the week, news that came as a surprise to him. "I landed in New Zealand, and my phone was blown up with 'oh Liam, you're racing Supercars next week' and I was like, 'I didn't even know I was racing Supercars next week,'" Lawson told the media.

Lawson said he has driven a Supercars machine before and enjoyed the experience, and that the series appeals to him for the same reasons it holds a broad audience. The cars have naturally aspirated V8 engines, sequential gearboxes, and a raw character that he finds attractive. "It's something I would love to do," he said. "Obviously, when my life is not so focused on one thing, maybe, and I can actually put the time in to prepare for it."

Lawson previously finished runner-up in both the DTM in 2021 and Super Formula in 2023, and won the 2019 New Zealand Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll have both entered GT racing during the current F1 calendar break.