Rules under fire: is Formula 1 at risk of losing its identity? Has the regulator missed the mark?
The chorus of discontent surrounding “Next Gen” Formula 1 is growing louder by the day. We have already reported on the positions of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso, all more or less dissatisfied with certain characteristics that emerged during simulator work and on-track running. Apparently, they are not the only drivers concerned about the direction mapped out by the regulator. Dissatisfaction is now also being voiced by the team principal of the reigning world champion outfit, who has called for immediate corrections after issues emerged in Sakhir.
The doubts, therefore, are no longer coming solely from inside the cockpit. After the drivers’ statements – which we previously analyzed in a dedicated focus – team principals are now beginning to speak out publicly about F1 2026–2030. And when the one doing so is Andrea Stella, head of the reigning world champion team, the signal deserves serious attention.
Andrea Stella highlights the weaknesses of F1 2026
The new Formula 1, as currently shaped by the regulatory framework, presents critical issues that are beginning to cause concern. In comments reported by Autosport, Stella addressed several structural points: start-line safety, overtaking difficulties, and extreme energy management during races. If left unresolved, these aspects risk altering the very identity of the category.
The first issue concerns race start procedures. The Italian engineer was unequivocal: “We are not talking about the speed you reach in qualifying. We are talking about safety on the starting grid. There are some topics that are simply more important than competitive interest. And for me, ensuring safety on the grid, which can be achieved with a simple adjustment, is an obvious thing.
“We must make sure that the race start procedure allows all cars to have the power unit ready to launch, because the grid is not the place where you want cars to be slow off the line. This is a bigger interest than any competitive interest. So, I think all teams and the FIA should take their responsibilities when it comes to what is needed.”
The key message is clear: the grid cannot become a technical compromise zone. If energy management or current procedures expose teams to the risk of delayed launches or unready power units, intervention must be immediate. This is not about showmanship but operational integrity. The concept of safety—always the brightest guiding star for the FIA and FOM—cannot be subordinated to strategic considerations.
F1 2026: are difficult overtakes back?
The second front is purely sporting. With revisions to DRS mechanisms and energy deployment rules, overtaking dynamics appear to have stiffened. The regulator sold the “new F1” as an era of easier passing, yet old demons seem to be resurfacing.
“In the past, DRS created an advantage in terms of aerodynamic drag for the car that was following. This year, when you follow someone, you have the same drag and the same power, so it becomes quite difficult to overtake. Our drivers raced against other drivers during these three days of testing in Bahrain and found it extremely difficult to overtake.
“Having additional energy when you are following and within one second is difficult to exploit, because this extra energy may only mean a little bit more speed at the end of the straight. As a community, we should evaluate what can be done to ensure a reasonable feasibility when it comes to overtaking. Otherwise, we lose one of the fundamental elements of the nature of racing: the possibility to pass.”
The issue is technical but carries identity implications. If the pursuing car has the same drag and the same power output, aerodynamic inertia once again becomes dominant. The extra available energy does not translate into a meaningful performance delta for attacking, but merely into a few additional kilometers per hour at the end of the straight. The result is a more static Formula 1, where track position weighs excessively. And when the realistic opportunity to overtake is drastically reduced, one of the sport’s core pillars is weakened.
F1 2026: safety comes first
The third element concerns energy and fuel consumption management. Here, there is clear alignment between Andrea Stella and the drivers who have already complained about certain trends. The heavy return of lift-and-coast, necessary to respect imposed limits, introduces risk variables in close-following situations.
“This may not be an ideal situation when you are following closely and it can lead to a race situation like the ones we have seen several times in the past with Webber in Valencia, Patrese in Portugal and other cases that we certainly would not want to see again in Formula 1 (the following car taking off after contact).”
In short, sudden speed variations under braking or throttle lift can generate unpredictable pace differences for the chasing car, increasing the risk of contact with potentially spectacular—but extremely dangerous—consequences. If energy management becomes so invasive that it affects the dynamic predictability of the cars, the issue is no longer merely technical, but systemic.
F1 2026: ignoring the warning signs would be a mistake
It is no longer just drivers expressing confusion about the new driving framework. Now a leading team principal is questioning the overall balance of the regulations. When safety, overtaking, and race dynamics all come under scrutiny at the same time, the matter cannot be dismissed as a routine post-regulation adjustment phase.
Formula 1 has always evolved its rules, but without undermining its foundations: cars ready to launch, on-track duels made possible, and sufficient dynamic predictability to ensure safety. If these elements are compressed in the name of an overly rigid regulatory architecture, the risk is a gradual loss of identity.
Andrea Stella’s words are not an isolated outburst. They are an invitation to collective responsibility. Above all, they serve as a reminder: regulatory innovation cannot become a self-referential exercise. It must remain functional to the very nature of racing.
The growing dissatisfaction voiced by Andrea Stella and the grid’s top champions suggests that the 2026 regulations may have prioritized technical complexity over the raw essence of racing. While the push for sustainable hybrid power is noble, the reports of “impossible” overtaking and dangerous grid-start procedures indicate that the FIA may have over-engineered the new era. If the community doesn’t act quickly to implement the “simple adjustments” Stella is calling for, F1 risks entering a period where the technology outshines the competition, leaving both drivers and fans frustrated by a lack of on-track action.
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