FIA removes Albert Park Straight Mode zone after drivers raise safety concerns
Valtteri Bottas uses Straight Mode down Lakeside Drive during practice.
The FIA has made a late change to Straight Mode following feedback from the drivers at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Concern among the ranks was that the lack of downforce with Straight mode activated on the run from Turn 6 to Turn 9 introduced a safety concern.
FIA removes Straight Mode zone after driver safety concerns
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google for news you can trust.
A meeting with the drivers on Friday night resulted in the fourth Straight Mode zone at Albert Park being removed.
Drivers will now run with wings in Corner Mode through the long blast down Lakeside Drive and into the fast chicane at Turns 9 and 10.
The decision came in response to concerns that the balance shift with wings in low downforce configuration, especially in traffic, was a step too far.
Speaking with PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Albert Park, the FIA’s head of single seaters Nikolas Tombazis conceded the zone had been an aggressive choice.
However, following feedback from drivers and analysis of data from all 11 teams, it has been decided it was a step too far.
“We had a meeting yesterday with the drivers, and some expressed the concern that the downforce in that area was a bit too low, especially if they were fighting for position with other cars,” Tombazis explained.
“They felt they could risk losing control of the car in such conditions.
“As, of course, safety is number one for us, we decided, following some analysis, to err on the side of caution and to remove the fourth Straight Mode zone for here, for Melbourne.”
The decision will see the removal of the zone for the remainder of the weekend, leaving teams now scrambling to adjust car setups to compensate for the change.
There are energy management implications too, with cars now set to arrive at Turn 9 at a lower speed, and therefore have a reduced braking zone and opportunity to charge the battery.
Consideration was put into reducing the length of the Straight Mode zone to mitigate the concerns but was decided against.
Tombazis conceded the move to abolish the fourth zone is a “draconian” decision, but with little data available to help guide it, the FIA had little option.
“We have three parameters that are relevant,” he explained in terms of how an area is identified for Straight Mode.
“One is the overall downforce of the cars following many months of development.
“The second is what percentage of that downforce gets lost on Straight Mode.
“The third parameter is what [is the] balance shift? So how much more is the front downforce reduction compared to the rear downforce?
“We had assumptions for all of these three parameters.”
Of the 11 teams, analysis revealed seven had less downforce than anticipated over the front axle.
Following Friday night’s drivers meeting, the FIA conducted analysis in Europe before informing teams of the change at 9:45 local time on Saturday morning.
More from the Australian Grand Prix
Why Valtteri Bottas’ Australian GP grid penalty has disappeared with FIA tweak
Adrian Newey feels ‘powerless’ as Aston Martin left with two Honda batteries
“Teams have to adjust the setups of the cars and have been running Friday in one condition, and they now need to make adjustments, so I’m sure there will be some who are not happy about that,” Tombazis said of the expected reaction from teams.
“But we feel that obviously trying to put safety first.
“We think that’s most responsible course of action for this weekend, and as we are learning.
“I think it’s important to note that this was instigated from listening to the drivers. Some of them expressed that concern yesterday in the drivers meeting Friday night.”
While Albert Park is the first event of the season, it’s one of four events to feature a Straight Mode zone on a distinct curve.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the same fate will befall zones in future, with other measures – including minimum downforce levels – potential options once more data is available.
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read Next: Albert Park exposes F1 2026 energy crisis as teams battle battery limits
