Formula 1 entered a new era in 2026 carrying huge technical and commercial expectations. Three races later, the scenario is already clear enough to provoke reactions: from drivers, teams, and now also from the FIA itself.
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But, contrary to what some in the paddock suggested in recent weeks, there will be no radical change in the regulations. The FIA’s reading is different. A regulation under pressure, but far from collapse.
After recurring criticism throughout the early stages of the season, the FIA started a series of technical meetings to evaluate possible adjustments to the regulations. The debate gained strength especially due to complaints about drivability, energy management, and the feeling of “artificiality” at some moments during the races.
Still, the FIA’s position is clear: there is no structural crisis.
Nikolas Tombazis summed up this view well by using a medical analogy to explain the category’s moment. According to him, Formula 1 is not facing a serious problem that requires radical intervention, but rather a scenario that calls for fine adjustments throughout development.
The message is direct: the basis of the regulations will be maintained.
What should not change
Behind the scenes, some deeper hypotheses were even discussed, or at least speculated.
Among them, changes in the balance between combustion and electric energy, which today is around 50/50, as well as possible revisions in parameters such as fuel flow and other variables related to power unit performance.
For now, these possibilities are off the table. The FIA does not intend to change the central concept of the new generation of cars. And this is important. Because changing this balance now would mean, in practice, rewriting the technical philosophy of 2026 just a few months after its implementation, something the category clearly wants to avoid.
Where the FIA can act
This does not mean that everything is working perfectly. The FIA itself recognizes that there are points of attention, especially in two pillars: drivability and safety.
The difficulty of driving, already pointed out by several drivers, and specific situations observed in the initial races, including incidents related to the behavior of the cars, should be the focus of the next technical meetings.
The trend is for localized adjustments. Corrections that do not alter the DNA of the regulations, but that can improve the driving experience and reduce unwanted side effects of this new generation.
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The broader reading: development time
There is a factor that helps understand the FIA’s caution: 2026 is, essentially, a learning year.
The cars are completely new, the concepts are still being explored, and the teams are just beginning to understand the ideal behavior within these regulations.
Historically, major changes in Formula 1 go through this same process. The first year rarely delivers the final version of what those regulations can be. Evolution happens over time.
Between criticism and acceptance
Another relevant point in the FIA’s analysis is public perception.
Despite internal criticism, many of them voiced by drivers like Max Verstappen, the entity understands that the spectacle, so far, has been well received by fans. This creates a delicate balance.
On one side, drivers ask for adjustments to improve driving and make the experience more natural. On the other, the category needs to preserve what is already working from an entertainment point of view. Tombazis’ statement reflects exactly this middle ground: recognizing that there are problems, without turning the scenario into a crisis.
No rupture, with corrections
The FIA’s decision to avoid radical changes at this moment shows a clear strategy. Formula 1 wants to give time for the regulations to mature.
The bet is that, with development, targeted adjustments, and better understanding by the teams, the most criticized points tend to be naturally softened.
The category’s new era will not be redefined after three races. But it will be calibrated. And this process has already begun.
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