FIA: driver criticism of 2026 F1 rules was “realistically only to be expected”

FIA says 2026 criticism was no surprise

The first Formula 1 season under the 2026 technical regulations has reached its halfway point, giving the FIA an opportunity to assess a ruleset defined by a much greater emphasis on electric power.

Asked whether the criticism had exceeded the FIA’s expectations, single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis rejected that suggestion.

He added that complaints surrounding energy management, super clipping and algorithms were anticipated during the two years before the season began. The FIA attempted to make adjustments, but the governance structure prevented the necessary changes from being approved.

Governance restricted regulatory changes

Tombazis said the FIA had recognised the difficulties with the regulations through simulations as early as 2022. However, manufacturers had already committed substantial resources, leaving little room to fundamentally revise the rules before launch.

A governance agreement signed in 2022 bound the FIA, Formula 1 and the power-unit manufacturers to the framework covering 2023, 2024 and 2025. It also ensured that new manufacturers, including Audi, were subject to the same financial and operational restrictions as existing participants.

At the same time, the agreement limited the FIA’s ability to act unilaterally. Significant changes required approval from at least four power-unit manufacturers, and Tombazis said that threshold was not reached during the years when adjustments were discussed.

He believes the changes agreed for 2027 and 2028, moving progressively towards a 60-40 power split, should ideally have been introduced earlier. The near-50:50 target had been important to manufacturers deciding whether to participate, but it also created the energy-management challenges drivers are now highlighting.

Entertainment has remained a positive

Despite the criticism, Tombazis argued that the racing itself has generally remained exciting. Mercedes has won most races and holds a clear advantage, yet he said the opening half of the season has produced substantial fighting and frequent changes on track.

That balance between regulatory shortcomings and race-day entertainment will remain central to the debate as Formula 1 moves towards the second half of its first 2026 campaign. For a broader statistical view of the season so far, see Formula 1 2026: the numbers behind a record-breaking season so far.