A planned post-Chinese Grand Prix review of the rules will still go ahead, but the consensus among teams and officials is that no immediate tweaks are needed after the opening two rounds of the season.
Concerns about the new-look hybrid package first surfaced during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where drivers highlighted the impact of energy management and unusual racing tactics linked to battery deployment.
The regulations were always set to be assessed after the second round in China, with the possibility of fast-tracked adjustments if the spectacle proved problematic.
However, the mood in the paddock shifted after the Chinese Grand Prix weekend delivered a more encouraging picture.
Both the sprint race and the main grand prix in Shanghai featured close racing, easing fears that the new rules would produce a poor show.
As a result, teams and the FIA now believe there is no need to rush through changes before the championship heads to Suzuka, with multiple reports indicating there is little appetite for immediate tweaks.
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Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu warned against reacting too quickly to early criticism of the new rules.
“Definitely we shouldn’t do a knee-jerk reaction because if you’re going to change something, we should change it once and then get it right,” he said in China.
Driver opinions on the new F1 cars remain divided.
Max Verstappen has been among the most vocal critics, continuing to argue that the racing is being distorted by energy management demands.
“It’s terrible. If someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about,” he said after the race in China.
Others have been far more positive about how the cars perform in close combat.
Lewis Hamilton, who claimed his first Ferrari podium in Shanghai, said the racing experience had exceeded expectations.
“I think it’s the best racing that I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1,” he said.
“It felt like go-karting, back and forth, back and forth, and you could really position your car in a nice way where there was a thin piece of paper between us sometimes.”
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Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff acknowledged that the driving style may not always feel natural for competitors, but suggested fan reaction to the racing so far has been encouraging.
“Qualifying flat-out would be nice,” he said.
“But when you look at the fans and the excitement that is there live, the cheering when there are overtakes, and also on social media, the younger fans, the vast majority through all the demographics likes the sport at the moment.
“So, yes, we can always look at how we’re improving it. But at the moment, all the indicators say, and all the data say, that people love it.”
Wolff also suggested any future rule discussions could be influenced by competitive considerations between teams.
“We have a good car that at that stage is capable of winning,” he said.
“Let’s see what kind of political knives are going to come out in the next few weeks and months. But at the moment, it’s a car that is capable of winning.”
Another factor behind the decision to delay changes is the difference between circuits.
Melbourne’s Albert Park layout proved particularly demanding on energy usage, making it difficult for drivers to recharge their batteries and encouraging heavy lift-and-coast tactics.
Shanghai’s layout, by contrast, allowed drivers to harvest energy more easily, meaning fewer extreme strategies were required during the race.
Officials now want to gather more data from different tracks before deciding if any technical adjustments are necessary.
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix has also created a longer break in the calendar, giving F1 additional time to properly evaluate the regulations before the championship resumes in Miami in early May.
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