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. ” Japanese Grand Prix, Saturday, Getty Images SUZUKA, JAPAN – MARCH 28: George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W17 on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 28, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Andy Hone/LAT Images) What is “Clipping” and “Derating”?