Midway by way of the 2026 Components 1 season, the brand new technical laws – with a a lot better emphasis on electrical energy and vitality administration – proceed to divide opinion amongst followers and drivers.
F1 says its fanbase has responded largely positively to the races up to now, in keeping with its Components 1 Fan Voice programme. This consists of a bunch of 60,000 followers who price the leisure worth of every grand prix.
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In response to F1, 60% of that group rated final yr’s races as “good” or “glorious”, whereas that determine has risen to 66% in 2026.
Curiously, regardless of all of the vitality administration points, F1 says Spa’s score elevated by 24%, whereas the Hungarian Grand Prix – which many hardcore followers thought-about essentially the most natural-looking race of the primary half of the season – obtained precisely the identical score because it did a yr in the past.
In response to F1’s personal knowledge, solely the British Grand Prix obtained a considerably decrease score than final yr. F1 attributes that to the race ending behind the security automobile and to the truth that the 2025 British Grand Prix is described as “very eventful”.
Followers
Photograph by: Paul Foster
Drivers, nonetheless, have been much more important. Max Verstappen instantly labelled the present laws “Components E on steroids” throughout winter testing, and has since been backed up by a lot of his fellow drivers.
Significantly at energy-starved circuits corresponding to Silverstone and Spa, drivers discovered the 2026 automobiles painful to drive. Oscar Piastri additionally pointed to the ability items’ “self-learning components”, that means drivers will be caught out by “forward-thinking algorithms”.
Talking throughout a media name firstly of the summer time break, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali nonetheless burdened that the game as an entire is in a really sturdy place.
“I believe the state of affairs that we live right now is absolutely nice,” Domenicali mentioned. “The championship is absolutely on the highest by way of folks following, folks which are coming to the observe and folks which are, in any case, new or outdated followers appreciating the success of the issues we’re doing.”
Requested by Motorsport.com whether or not the criticism from drivers had been stronger than F1 anticipated firstly of the yr, the Italian responded: ” me, we’re not right here to place the tape on the mouth of anybody. I imply, the great thing about our sport is that everybody can have an opinion, however the opinion is an opinion.
“There may be somebody that has the responsibility, , to have a line. There are particular drivers that desire, after all, sure issues. I believe that within the course of now we have highlighted the must be constructive in that respect.”
Domenicali mentioned it is very important perceive how the FIA and F1 ended up on this place.
When discussions in regards to the present laws first started, the automotive business was clearly pushing in the direction of electrification. To keep away from ending up with solely two engine producers, the game needed to transfer in that path to some extent.
“I’m going again to the factor that this modification was linked to a cause, and that was a significant cause,” Domenicali mentioned. “In any other case, we’d be right here to speak about our sport, one other sport. In order that has been adjusted.”
Domenicali burdened that drivers’ feedback want to stay constructive, as in his view no one advantages from pure negativity. That’s the reason he prefers to debate such issues behind closed doorways, one thing he has just lately carried out once more with Verstappen.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Components One Group
Photograph by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos
“I believe that, as me, I desire to debate issues [between] 4 partitions to search out options,” he added.
“However as I mentioned, I believe that the extra you’re vocal on sure issues which are out of the scheme, the extra the negativity will not be on the game. It is turning into on the non-public aspect. So, I believe that everybody understood that.”
Lastly, Domenicali emphasised that as F1’s CEO he has to take a look at the larger image – not solely the criticism from drivers, but additionally what’s finest for the game as an entire, together with from a industrial perspective.
“And in that respect, as I mentioned, very properly how a lot I respect the jewel which are our drivers. However after all, they should perceive that there’s one path we have to take collectively.
“And the followers are all the time a precedence on prime of everybody, even me. They [the drivers] can have a private opinion, however I’ve the responsibility to make a abstract of what’s the finest for the game.
“However I believe that the state of affairs could be very sturdy, very strong, with all of the stakeholders right now. So, we have to look forward and guarantee that the game is rising, as I mentioned, all collectively in the suitable means.”
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