FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem fired back at critics of the 2026 Formula 1 power unit regulations, asserting that only the struggling teams are voicing complaints. He highlighted that top outfits like Mercedes and Ferrari are not protesting the new rules, suggesting issues lie with individual team performance rather than the regulations themselves. Ben Sulayem emphasized that the 2026 rules were developed through extensive consultation with manufacturers and teams over 18 months, giving everyone ample preparation time.
Despite his dismissive stance, the FIA has already tweaked the 2026 regulations, introducing changes at the Miami Grand Prix following driver consultations on electrification and safety. More significantly, the power units will now be rebalanced to draw more power from the combustion engine, moving away from the initial 50-50 electric-combustion split. Looking ahead, Ben Sulayem is now pushing to replace these 2026 power units earlier than planned, envisioning a return to a lighter, cheaper V8 engine design as soon as 2029, a major pivot from current hybrid philosophy.
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