F1 Accused of Editing Antonelli’s Pole Lap to Hide “Embarrassing” 2026 Engine Flaw

Kimi Antonelli delivered an absolute masterclass on Saturday, putting his Mercedes on pole position for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix with a blistering time of 1:28.778. Usually, when Formula 1 posts the official onboard video of a pole lap, 100% of the video is from the driver’s point of view.

This weekend, however, the official video release sparked a massive controversy. Fans are accusing Formula 1‘s broadcasting and social media teams of deliberately editing the footage to hide a what is seen to be a flaw with the new 2026 car regulations.

The ride onboard video for Antonelli’s lap was shown both during the broadcast and on social sites following Saturday’s session. But eagle-eyed fans immediately noticed something completely out of the ordinary: instead of showing the entire uninterrupted lap from Antonelli’s T-cam (the camera mounted above the driver’s helmet), the video cut to an exterior, off-board shot during the final sector of the Suzuka Circuit.

Why would F1 cut away from the onboard during the fastest part of the track? According to the F1 community, it’s a PR cover-up.

An F1 commentator on X (formerly Twitter), @PolePositionist, called out the series, stating exactly what everyone else was thinking.

“I’ve NEVER seen F1 release a pole lap onboard and then switch to off board shots of the car mid-lap,” the user posted. “They’re doing absolutely everything to not show the bad super-clipping and derating into 130R and the Casio Triangle. It’s EMBARRASSING.”

What is “Clipping” and “Derating”?

To understand why fans are so angry, you have to look at the controversial 2026 engine regulations. The current power units rely on a massive 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and the electrical battery system.

“Derating” or “super clipping” happens when a car’s battery runs completely out of deployable electrical energy before the end of a straightaway. When this happens, the car loses hundreds of horsepower in an instant, causing acceleration to flatline.

Because Suzuka features a massive, full-throttle run through the legendary 130R corner leading into the final Casio Triangle chicane, the 2026 cars simply do not have enough battery life to sustain top speed the whole way. From an onboard camera, severe clipping looks (and sounds) terrible as the engine note changes, and the speed trace visibly plummets despite the driver having their foot flat to the floor.

Validating the Drivers’ Complaints

This editing controversy adds serious fuel to the fire regarding the drivers’ hatred of the new cars. Just this weekend, Max Verstappen hinted he might quit the championship over how much he despises the new engine formula, and Charles Leclerc went on an expletive-laden rant about losing all his lap time on the straights.

Fans believe that Liberty Media and F1 executives are terrified of the bad optics. Showing a Mercedes visibly gasping for electrical power at the end of a pole-winning lap is a terrible advertisement for the pinnacle of motorsport.

F1’s Response

On its YouTube channel, F1 offered a response as to why the onboard footage was cut short.

“Unfortunately Kimi’s onboard camera had a technical issue part way through his lap, meaning we are unable to bring you the lap onboard in full,” the account commented.

Image Source: Japanese Grand Prix, Saturday, Getty Images SUZUKA, JAPAN – MARCH 28: Pole position qualifier Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team with his Pirelli Pole Position award during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 28, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Sam Bagnall/Sutton Images)