Are 2026 F1 regulations broken? How to fix them?

[peewon]

I'm not sure its enough, you'll still see the onboards have to cut away to hide the new even more potent superclipping and the deployment changes will amount to only a handful of extra seconds of deployment over a lap. They need more drastic MGUK reductions for 26 to restore the sporting aspect of F1. I also hope they have some real ICE improvements planned for 2027, a 580hp fuel restricted cap isn't enough and needs to rise dramatically to restore performance closer to the last engines. The manufacturers need as much time as possible to make and test a 20-30% fuel increase.

Till 50% of power deployment is being controlled by computers, I dont think how it can be considered a sport. The drivers are just there for the ride.

[FW17]

I'm not sure its enough, you'll still see the onboards have to cut away to hide the new even more potent superclipping and the deployment changes will amount to only a handful of extra seconds of deployment over a lap. They need more drastic MGUK reductions for 26 to restore the sporting aspect of F1. I also hope they have some real ICE improvements planned for 2027, a 580hp fuel restricted cap isn't enough and needs to rise dramatically to restore performance closer to the last engines. The manufacturers need as much time as possible to make and test a 20-30% fuel increase.

Till 50% of power deployment is being controlled by computers, I dont think how it can be considered a sport. The drivers are just there for the ride.

And recharge is decided by the computer.

[Stu]

I remember it being said that it was so easy a monkey could drive them back in 1992/3 with active suspension, traction control and ABS, but somehow the cream still rose to the top.

[Rikhart]

I remember it being said that it was so easy a monkey could drive them back in 1992/3 with active suspension, traction control and ABS, but somehow the cream still rose to the top.

Not really comparable to a situation where they are taking corners at 60km/h less than they used to. Even with those driving aids, those being more on the limit could make a difference, now, not so much.

[JordanMugen]

A more sensible version would be the flip side of that, unless the important acceleration zones are limited to areas of the track where the aero is trimmed out.

I assume it means 350kW MGU-H for only the main (long) straights, so that would be designated as the one or two long straights on a circuit. E.g., for China that would be the back straight and pit straight only.

So for short straights only 250 kW MGU-H will be available.

I remember it being said that it was so easy a monkey could drive them back in 1992/3 with active suspension, traction control and ABS, but somehow the cream still rose to the top.

I guess!

It's pretty amazing that McLaren-Honda MP4/6-RA121/E won the 1991 season with (I believe) none of that stuff. I guess primarily because all that "stuff" on the Williams was quite unreliable compared to the simple McLaren, even with the McLaren having the heavy and thirsty V12 Honda engine.

I still don't think Red Bull Ford, Cadillac or Ferrari would quit if the FIA announced ~650kW (fuel flow limited) 3.2L V12s for 2028 with a 100kW KERS system... [As to Audi, Mercedes and Honda, that cannot be guaranteed though.]

IIRC, Cadillac don't plan to have their power unit until 2028 anyway, so announcing the change to V12 now would give them the same chance to build one as everyone else.

But is the current style of car far preferred by Mr. Wolff and Mercedes Grand Prix, even if the changes still mean it is better to not go 100% in corners to have more power on straights, and therefore the cars still conflict with the preference of Mr. Verstappen, Mr. Leclerc or Mr. Sainz?

I think the drop in lap times might have reached embarrassing thresholds then. I heard somewhere around 2 second slower to get down to 6.0MJ.

I could not care less! TBH, I don't think the drivers could care less either.

If the F1 drivers cared about going fast in a straight line, would they not have taken up drag racing?

Do people really care more about the laptime, than having cars go as fast as possible in corners and not slow down dramatically from 2/3rd of the way down a straight‽

Surely the behaviour of the car around the circuit (trackside, off-board and on-board cameras) is FAR more visible to fans than a lap time number‽

Is not deliberately going slower in corners to harvest more to go faster on the straights and therefore faster overall, the entire crux of the problem with the regulations -- not the strength of the regulations?

Piastri pushed harder on his final qualifying lap in Australia, all his corner speeds were up, but therefore he harvested less (since less speed delta to minimum speed), deployed less and thus lost more time on straights than he gained in corners and therefore he was slower! Surely that is absurd?

[FW17]

Media has been paid off too. Now they are parroting the changes as positive, all the while knowing that LiCo and superclipping are deeply unpopular and unnecessary.

FOM with media support has killed racing.

Racing is not overtaking.

[peewon]

I think the drop in lap times might have reached embarrassing thresholds then. I heard somewhere around 2 second slower to get down to 6.0MJ.

I could not care less! TBH, I don't think the drivers could care less either.

If the F1 drivers cared about going fast in a straight line, would they not have taken up drag racing?

Do people really care more about the laptime, than having cars go as fast as possible in corners and not slow down dramatically from 2/3rd of the way down a straight‽

Surely the behaviour of the car around the circuit (trackside, off-board and on-board cameras) is FAR more visible to fans than a lap time number‽

Is not deliberately going slower in corners to harvest more to go faster on the straights and therefore faster overall, the entire crux of the problem with the regulations -- not the strength of the regulations?

FIA and the F1 media cares? Yes. Because then (in their viewpoint) its public admission of the fact that these regulations are a step back and they wouldnt be able to spin it. Its just been an unwritten rule of F1 to not have laptimes get much slower than previous regs or get close to lower series. I think the fans dont care because the clipping and accidental overtakes are so much worse than a number at the end of the lap.

Think of it from a commercial perspective. F1 is the fastest growing sport in the world. Increased revenue often comes from developing newer fanbases (while losing little) rather than simply focusing on retaining the older fanbase. A good majority of the newer fans trace their origin from Drive to Survive. They only care about overtakes. They think these regulations allow more "overtakes" which makes it more exciting in theory even if in reality its extremely artificial.

I dont think they anticipated the level of backlash which has mainly come as drivers and teams have spoken out and educated the fans that this is not good racing.

Someone else also pointed out which I hadnt thought about is, cars being significantly slower in corners and deployment being software managed takes away driving skill and makes it much more likely for a woman to get a seat in F1. Now this theory is a bit out there but not impossible. Literally every major sport in the past 5 years or so has taken major steps to capture the female fanbase as their regular fanbase saturates.

[dren]

Media has been paid off too. Now they are parroting the changes as positive, all the while knowing that LiCo and superclipping are deeply unpopular and unnecessary.

FOM with media support has killed racing.

Racing is not overtaking.

I'm not sure the media has been paid off...more likely they'll be cut off of privileges if they talk negative about the regs.

I think Max is out next season.

[FW17]

Media has been paid off too. Now they are parroting the changes as positive, all the while knowing that LiCo and superclipping are deeply unpopular and unnecessary.

FOM with media support has killed racing.

Racing is not overtaking.

I'm not sure the media has been paid off...more likely they'll be cut off of privileges if they talk negative about the regs.

I think Max is out next season.

Few air miles and complementary lounge access from emirates is also getting paid off.

[dren]

Media has been paid off too. Now they are parroting the changes as positive, all the while knowing that LiCo and superclipping are deeply unpopular and unnecessary.

FOM with media support has killed racing.

Racing is not overtaking.

I'm not sure the media has been paid off...more likely they'll be cut off of privileges if they talk negative about the regs.

I think Max is out next season.

Few air miles and complementary lounge access from emirates is also getting paid off.

That's what I meant, not $$$ but privileges.