How the New F1 2026 Season is Looking

Formula 1 has officially stepped into the 2026 season with some of the biggest rule changes the sport has ever seen, with its new power unit, tyres, aerodynamics, fuel, and more. The new regulation was seen to have very mixed opinions among both the teams, drivers, and fans even before the cars reached its first grand prix. With a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power in engines, the four-time world champion Max Verstappen said the cars were "like Formula E on steroids" while some found the cars "more fun" to drive. Despite these contrasting views, it was evident that the new regulation was a fresh new start for everyone.

Although the preparation for the 2026 regulation started way back in 2022, the regulations had enough flaws for the teams to find loopholes. Throughout preseason testing, a rumor spread on how Mercedes found a loophole in the regulations that allowed them to increase the maximum compression ratio, which is predicted to have 0.3 second advantage per lap. This rumor became evidently true when Mercedes was seen to be dominant over all cars in Bahrain preseason testing. This advantage caused a lot of dispute and protest in the paddock about its legitimacy, however the incident ended with the FIA confirming the engine as legal. The Mercedes superiority is continued to be seen today with all 3 races being won by a Mercedes's driver (Kimi's first win YAY). The dominance is expected to continue without any sudden changes to regulations.

The new regulation has also caused drivers to call out for a change. During the recent Suzuka Grand Prix, a British driver, Ollie Bearman experienced a major 50G crash trying to avoid a fellow driver. He was able to avoid serious injuries but drivers warned how these crashes can be repeated. The new energy saving regulation meant the drivers are traveling at drastically different speeds on track without their control. Carlos Sainz spoke out, "As drivers, we have been extremely vocal that the problem is not only qualifying, it's also racing, and we were warning this type of accident was always going to happen". Lando Norris also spoke out on how he has no control over his car's energy deployment. This concern is now being addressed by the FIA and is said to take a structured review after the opening season.