Why do regulations change when the field starts to close with competitiveness? For the new director in 2026, it seems like a lottery, for the nails or teams that fail to make them fail, leading to a dominant team and a lagging team. Stable Regs = Competitive Racing. - Matt

F1 always changes its regulations from time to time. This is an inevitable and necessary part of the sport.

In the past, this was because the governing bodies felt the need to intervene in some way.

Maybe it was because the car got too fast or too dangerous, like at the end of the last era of ground effects in 1982, or when Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994. Or change the racing aspect that is no longer considered incredible, such as when it was banned from refueling in 2010.

Engine rules also change frequently for various reasons.

This time, the starting point is the engine rules. F1 and FIA hope to make the sport more attractive to new manufacturers. Therefore, they set up some working groups involving manufacturers and proposed regulations for 2026.

They retained the 1.6-liter V6 turbo hybrid, but simplified them by removing the MGU-H, which is turbocharged and very complex and is considered a barrier to new suppliers.

They also improve electrical capacity so that about 50% of the total power output will come from the electrical portion of the engine and run with 100% sustainable fuel.

It works. Audi comes in - This is the idea of ​​changing the rules. Porsche ended up not. But Ford is back with Red Bull. Stay when Honda is about to pull it out. Moreover, GM will enter next year, although its engines will not be ready until 2029.

There is already a desire to improve the rules of the chassis to solve some problems with the ground effect in 2022. But the new engine rules need further changes.

It is obvious that restoring enough energy to provide the battery will be a problem. Therefore, rule makers turned to movable aerodynamics, reducing straight drag, so the car lasted longer in the brake area.

Although no significant changes are expected to occur in the rules, the topic continues to be discussed - for example, by limiting electrical deployment in races, as some are pushing for the moment - as most are blocking most preventing it.

Yes, this may open up the field, but this often happens in new rules. But it will close again. It also provides opportunities for competitive order reorganization, which is often considered positive.