F1 should cancel 2026 'Frankenstein' rules altogether

(GMM) Flavio Briatore thinks Formula 1 is making a mistake by changing the regulations for 2026.

The radical new technical rules for next year and beyond, particularly the increased engine electrification, have been the subject of intense debate lately.

The talks, however, powered by Red Bull and Ferrari who favor less radical electrification or even a return to V10 power, led to no changes to the plan.

For Alpine, the transition from 2025 to 2026 could actually be very good news, as the team is shifting from underpowered works Renault power units to the customer Mercedes which is tipped to be the leading new engine.

However, Alpine team advisor Briatore is still not happy.

“I think it’s wrong to change the rules,” he told Sky Italia, “because we are at a point now where we have 10 or 12 cars within two tenths of each other and that’s what we’ve always hoped for.

“It’s what we always said that we wanted – cars very close together and several different drivers winning grands prix. So now we change the rules? I don’t know what the point is.”

The argument for change is that the new rules led to Honda reversing its decision to leave, whilst enticing Audi to enter. Cadillac-GM is also entering Formula 1 under the new rules regime in 2029.

“The problem,” Briatore said, “is that we all wanted to have a Formula 1 with cars close together and see the fight between the drivers. Now we’ve got there. So what do we do? ‘Let’s change it again!’

“So we’ll see, it’s all a mystery what will happen next. But very clearly, I wouldn’t have changed the rules at all. What more do we want? More than what we see today is impossible.”