Max Verstappen dismissed the Miami Grand Prix rule tweaks as a mere “tickle”, while McLaren’s Lando Norris warned drivers must be content with the limited scope. The latest technical package forces a near‑even split between internal‑combustion and electric output, curbing the “lift‑and‑coast” tactics that have dominated qualifying. Verstappen took pole, backing the current balance.

The 350kW (470bhp) electric boost now faces tighter deployment limits, aimed at narrowing speed differentials when one car runs full power and another charges its battery. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll branded the overhaul “fundamentally flawed”, while Mercedes’ George Russell argued a return to V8s could improve weight and overtaking, echoing long‑standing nostalgia for early‑2000s machinery.

Norris conceded the package delivers a “flatter‑out” qualifying feel and urged the paddock to be grateful for what’s on the table, while Verstappen said his future decisions remain on his own timetable. With rain predicted for Sunday, drivers worry about visibility and power‑unit strategies in wet conditions, but FIA has left schedule untouched. The consensus: tweaks tighten competition without overhauling formula.