The 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix was hyped up to be a spectacle for the ages. However, it failed to deliver, as the current era of cars made it difficult for the drivers to overtake.
Of the 20 drivers, 11 finished in the same position they started the race, including the top six. Pit stops were a key factor in many of the order changes among the other nine drivers.
Numerous commentators have stated since the race finished that it was almost a non-factor due to the lack of overtakes, with the pit exit moment of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris one of the main highlights of the race.
Norris' teammate, Oscar Piastri, commented on the lack of highlights in the cooldown room after the race, and even Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, via Autosport, has likened Suzuka to the much-maligned Monaco Grand Prix due to the lack of overtaking opportunities.
Such responses have sparked a debate on some of the classic race tracks no longer suiting Formula 1 and how changes need to be made.
For many Formula 1 purists, though, it's not the tracks that need to change to address this particular issue, but the cars.
2026 Formula 1 regulations could improve overtaking
The current cars have long been referred to by their size, with some drivers even labelling them as "boats". Comparison images showing the differences between these cars and those of eras past show just how much of a difference there is between them.
This understandably means that there is far less space on tracks than in the heydays of even Michael Schumacher, around 20 years ago, and it is creating an issue where races at classic tracks are being viewed as unentertaining.
While little can be done to address this in 2025, fans should look to 2026 for hope that things will turn a corner and reintroduce more of the excitement that they are expecting.
The new regulations set to come into effect next year have been discussed heavily recently, particularly with regard to the new power units and the potential for them to be replaced by V10s before the end of the decade.
While there has been plenty of concern over the new regulations for this reason, the cars themselves could actually solve the problem of overtaking in Formula 1.
Via Formula 1.com, the size of the new cars is expected to be reduced by quite a substantial amount.
They are expected to be around 30kg lighter, with a wheelbase reduction of 200mm, and a total car width reduction of 100mm. This will also be combined with a slight reduction in the size of the tyres, which will be 25mm smaller at the front and 30mm smaller at the rear.
While this won't make the cars as small as they were in the 2000s or early 2010s, it is a step in the right direction to help with the problem of overtaking on track. It's also not the only thing about the new regulations that could help in this regard.
The current cars are some of the fastest ever seen in Formula 1, with track lap records broken in both China and Japan already this season. The new cars are expected to suffer a slight drop in speed, which could keep the grid closer together and promote more battles on the track.
Despite this, the new cars are expected to have around 30% less downforce and a total drop in drag of around 55%, which should improve speed along the straights.
What it might also do, though, is make cornering more of a challenge, as drivers will need to adjust to find ideal tyre grip when going through corners of all speeds. This could see cornering speeds reduced and promote closer on-track battles a lot more often.
Improving excitement in Formula 1 is a crucial step that needs to be taken, and if the 2026 cars are able to address this, then the future looks brighter for a number of tracks that have come under fire over the past couple of seasons.