Why F1's biggest danger is not being ambitious with its 2026 rules

OPINION: Formula 1 has come under fire for its 2026 rules plan, in particular from Max Verstappen. But the potentially drastic consequences of not making sustainability a key element of the technical regulations would considerably outweigh any grumblings that may yet be proven misplaced anyway

For a motorsport series that is at the cutting edge of technology, Formula 1 can be a bit risk adverse at times – especially when it comes to major regulation change. So, it's not really a surprise that, as has happened countless times before when a major rules shake-up is on the cards, fears have emerged about just where things are heading from 2026.

The excitement and fanfare that erupted when Audi and Honda committed, thanks to the new rules, have been replaced by concern and alarm from some teams about engines running out of power on the straights and overtaking being a thing of the past with zero drag cars.

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Author Jonathan Noble

Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.

Jonathan has won multiple awards for journalism - in 1991 he was the winner of the Guild of Motoring Writers’ Sir William Lyons’ Award for young journalists, in 2010 he was awarded the Outstanding Individual accolade for consumer journalism in the Haymarket wards, in 2011 he won Haymarket’s Scoop of the Year, and in 2018 he was awarded a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for his contribution to F1 journalism.