The 2026 F1 regulations have caused quite a stir ahead of the Hungarian GP. Leaders from four teams, including Frederic Vasseur, Zak Brown, Toto Wolff, and James Vowles have voiced their concerns, expecting the new era to be a step back despite the sport taking a step towards sustainable racing. When F1’s governing body, the FIA, unveiled the 2026 car, fans mocked its F2-like appearance, which has found official backing since Mercedes boss Wolff revealed that the lap times are “up to ten seconds slower” in the simulation, sometimes.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown hopes that the 2026 regulations ensure that all teams are closely competitive “from the word go”. This will ensure the reduction in periods of dominance that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen experienced. Toto Wolff’s best friend from the paddock, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur, also has fears come 2026.

German publication AMuS questioned the Frenchman if he expects the engine changes to dominate post-2026 or the chassis changes. “I hope it (winning on merit) stays in the hands of the teams,” Vasseur replied, emphasizing, “What I wouldn’t like would be if the fuel or the battery alone made the big difference. The danger exists.” “But in the end, the lap time should be determined by the classic factors such as chassis, engine, driver, and the execution in the team,” he said in closing.

Before wrapping up the interview, Frederic Vasseur also disclosed how teams are “running a bit blind into the future.” For the first time in F1, the cars will be powered by 50% electrical energy and 50% combustion engine. The new fuel introduced would be carbon-free, aiding F1’s journey to Net Zero Carbon by 2030. But some revised aspects of the 2026 F1 car, along with the regulations, have surprised some Red Bull drivers.

Frederic Vasseur’s sentiment matches Max Verstappen and the Red Bull family’s stance on F1’s 2026 regulations

The skepticism isn’t exclusive to team bosses like Vasseur and Wolff, Max Verstappen, too, has been critical of the 2026 regs since last year. Experimenting with the new car on the simulator in 2023, he found the data “pretty terrible”. A year later, his feelings remain the same. “I haven’t driven it more, but there are still so many things that need to be fine-tuned anyway to get a good picture and everything,” he said ahead of the Hungarian GP. Though the 3-time champion emphasized how he has now taken a neutral stance on the matter, he also noted, “But naturally, when I look at the regulations, it’s not how I would have written them.”

The modern generation of F1 cars has been criticized for being too heavy and big. The 2026 F1 car will combat that by being 100 mm less wide and reducing the wheelbase by 200 mm. The weight will also be reduced by 30 kgs. But because the minimum weight is 798 kgs currently, a 30 kgs reduction will be like removing “one string on a tennis racket”, as per former RBR driver Mark Webber. The 9-time Grand Prix winner suggested taking out 150 kilos to see a difference and make cars safer.

Webber’s former teammate at Red Bull, David Coulthard, is also somewhat skeptical. He dived deeper into the physics of F1, saying, “In classic racing terms, your Vmax (​​maximum velocity) is at the end of the straights and then you brake into the corner. There is the potential reality that they’ll accelerate, and then they’ll start decelerating towards the braking zone. So your Vmax will be somewhere around the middle of the straight, which is a different way of racing.”

The 13-time Grand Prix winner also highlighted how Daniel Ricciardo’s signature late braking won’t be seen with a change. Well, F1 fans won’t be excited about this, and it’s also one of the rare instances where rivals have joined forces to demand changes for F1’s good. Hopefully, the FIA can proactively reduce the damage before it is too late.