F1’s Domenicali urges fans to wait and see how the new cars perform

Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali says the majority of fans will not be able to notice significant differences in driving style required by the 2026 cars and is confident the new regulations will deliver great racing.

This year’s power unit regulations call for a near 50:50 split between internal combustion and electrical energy, leading to a far greater emphasis on harvesting in order to charge the battery for specific parts of a lap. The cars also feature active aerodynamics to reduce drag in order to help with efficiency, leading to additional modes and power deployment settings.

Max Verstappen voiced his displeasure with the new cars last week, describing them as “like Formula E on steroids” because of the need for so much management behind the wheel, but Domenicali says the on-track product will still be entertaining for fans.

“I'm not at all [worried about the fan response] because I don't understand what is all the panicking going around,” Domenicali said. “There will be incredible racing, there will be a lot of action and that's the most important thing. And that's why prudence is always part of my style.

“It’s always great to go back and listen to what we said [previously], because you will see that with facts things could be different. And in any case, if something is not as we would [want], I think that the credibility of the sport is we can sit down with the responsible people – the technical people at the FIA – to find solutions.

“So I'm not worried at all and actually that's why I went out today for half an hour to understand the feeling [trackside]. Of course the most sophisticated fans will understand a different sound in certain situations, but I guarantee that 99.9% of the fans will not feel that, because it's impossible.

“Therefore I want to be positive in that respect and if something has to be rectified, there will be the time and the measure that we can do it together as a system to react.”

Domenicali says that reactions to testing are not representative of what F1’s future looks like when racing gets underway in Australia next month, even if the new ruleset requires a different approach to driving compared to previous seasons.

“We're going to be in Melbourne shortly. Everyone will be focused on winning the race, and that's the focus that has to be remembered," he said. “The winner will always be the fastest, or luckiest. Nothing will be different from the past in that respect, and the evolution and the possibility to learn even more in this new set of regulations, I think it's an incredible opportunity. That has always been, in my opinion, the greatest difference between F1 and other sports.

“F1 has always been a place where everyone can show that they are the best in all conditions – drivers, engineers, mechanics. Of course, if there would be something to react to, we're going to react; but I don't start with this panic, let me put it this way. I'm starting with a great energy. And the energy is given by the fact we have a lot of fans that have already booked tickets, a lot of fans that are following [in the media], thank God, a lot of fans that are curious to understand. And of course the polemics, the debate is part of the nature not only about our sport – which is one of the most mature in that respect – but it's part of what we are living today.

“There is a build-up to an incredible season where a lot of people have different opinions, but as always, when we start the first race in Australia, we're going see the truth for that race [only], with the possibility that we can see different situations from track to track that will give different situations to understand.

“So I wouldn't make a final conclusion after the Australian race at all, whatever it would be. Because it would be very, very premature – believe me on that.”