Former Ferrari engineer believes F1 2026 will put engineering and technology back at the centre. Why Jock Clear believes F1 2026 will reignite the spotlight on technology.

After a technical cycle that has lasted four years, Formula 1 will turn the page in 2026 with what is set to be the biggest technical and regulatory revolution the sport has ever witnessed. As this sporting “year zero” approaches, curiosity is growing rapidly, accompanied by a degree of concern similar to that seen in the past, when fears emerged of reliving a repeat of 2014, the season dominated from start to finish by Mercedes.

According to former Ferrari engineer Jock Clear, Formula 1 must periodically change its regulations in order to remain relevant and competitive. “When you are running something, whether it’s a business, a country or a sport, you have to move with the times,” Jock Clear said in comments reported by CasinoHawks. “Very often you find yourself in situations where, as I believe happened in 2013, we had seven winners in the first seven races and people say, ‘Why change? Why not leave everything as it is?’ And I think that if you look at it from the organiser’s point of view, if you fall into that trap, then it becomes very difficult to react when the sport starts to lose interest.”

Jock Clear believes the 2026 regulations are capable of appealing both to hardcore technical enthusiasts and to newer fans who have discovered Formula 1 through the Netflix series Drive to Survive. “Technophiles, and I am one of them, are fans of F1 because they are fascinated by the technology, and I like the fact that Formula 1 is at the forefront of engineering, and I’m not the only one who thinks like that,” Jock Clear explained.

“Yes, Netflix has brought in a new type of fan, but there are still the core fans who are technophiles and love technology, and they love the fact that engineering is constantly evolving, and I think next year we’re going to see some great things. The headlines might be exclusively about the engineering of the cars and the power units, but that’s not a bad thing, you know? This is a sport based on technology and, as such, we like the fact that there is a lot of technology involved and that there are many discussions about that technology,” he added.

In Jock Clear’s view, the new regulatory framework could therefore restore a central role to engineering creativity and innovation, offering fresh talking points and renewed excitement at a time when Formula 1 is preparing to redefine its technical identity for the years ahead.