Stefano Domenicali reassures F1 fans: performance will remain competitive even with new regulations in 2026. Stefano Domenicali reassures fans: convergence will happen in 2026.

Fans fear a dull 2026, but Stefano Domenicali calms everyone: even with the new F1 regulations, performance levels will even out. Concerns arise in light of a 2025 that looks to be highly competitive: McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull could all fight for the championship, having reached an extremely high performance level. The 2026 revolution, however, will reshuffle the deck.

This is a recurring theme in Formula 1: when there’s a drastic change in technical regulations, one team often capitalizes. This was the case with Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes in 2014, and Red Bull in 2022, to name the most recent examples. Such an advantage is often maintained in the following seasons until the infamous “convergence” is reached.

This convergence is simply the point where the leading team hits a development ceiling, allowing competitors to quickly catch up. In 2024, this has already occurred from the first European rounds. With many cars fighting for victory, the subsequent races often turned out to be spectacular and unpredictable, providing a breath of fresh air for Formula 1.

The 2026 regulations will not make F1 boring
The fear is that a drastic rule change might lead to a new era of dominance by one team. In an interview with Autosprint, Stefano Domenicali – CEO of Formula 1 – sought to reassure fans: “In 2022, teams complained that the cars would be six seconds slower. In four years, we’ve achieved very strong convergence.”

“Now we’re starting again with different regulations, with many new challenges and adjustments to make. At the beginning, we won’t see such gaps – it would be unrealistic to expect that. But as the 2026 F1 regulations are designed, convergence will come. I’m not worried.” – the former Ferrari team principal pointed out – “Several new manufacturers are joining, encouraged by these technological changes, which are necessary to maintain the evolutionary and positive momentum for those who see our formula as a platform for future development. We need to look at the bigger picture, not just the details. We must think big.” – the Formula 1 CEO concluded.