F1 F1 2026 Season

[happy_eagle]

Completely theoretically, what would happen if the FIA imposed no limits on how often you could test your car including wind tunnel time etc..

People would say it would lead to the same teams dominating, but thats kinda what we have now?

 

[Jatz]

This is quickly turning into one of the worst years in F1 for the governing body.

Just crazy that it’s come at the height of the sports popularity. They seem to have done the opposite of capitalising on that.

 

[jb04]

This is quickly turning into one of the worst years in F1 for the governing body.

Just crazy that it’s come at the height of the sports popularity. They seem to have done the opposite of capitalising on that.

I just hope that once enough people get angry and the $$s go away with people switching off, this is hung around Stefano Domenicali's neck and he doesn't get a chance to slither away.

I'm not exactly saying it's all his fault, I really don't like the guy.

 

[Bradesmaen]

This is quickly turning into one of the worst years in F1 for the governing body.

Just crazy that it’s come at the height of the sports popularity. They seem to have done the opposite of capitalising on that.

The thing is apparently all the data says that people love the current F1...

 

[skam85]

Completely theoretically, what would happen if the FIA imposed no limits on how often you could test your car including wind tunnel time etc..

People would say it would lead to the same teams dominating, but thats kinda what we have now?

There's no reason why they shouldn't already to this considering there's a cost cap.

Want to use your budget running around a track between races? Go for it!

 

[Neale4brownlow]

First time I've not really watched a GP in a long while.

Watched the start. 18 of 22 cars make the grid.

Watched the first 5-10 laps till it was clear the Mercs would once again overtake.

What have they done to this sport.

It may be a blessing to have Bahrain/SA GPs cancelled. It gives everyone time to get onto damage control and fix what they can with these new regs.

 

[Jatz]

First time I've not really watched a GP in a long while.

Watched the start. 18 of 22 cars make the grid.

Watched the first 5-10 laps till it was clear the Mercs would once again overtake.

What have they done to this sport.

It may be a blessing to have Bahrain/SA GPs cancelled. It gives everyone time to get onto damage control and fix what they can with these new regs.

There's absolutely nothing new about this. Mercedes and Red Bull have dominated as easily as the Mercs have over the last 15 years.

 

[Cromulant]

There's absolutely nothing new about this. Mercedes and Red Bull have dominated as easily as the Mercs have over the last 15 years.

And F1 hasnt been very exciting for most of that 15 years or so, as a whole.

The thing that amuses me a little is how people are bothered by the sudden lack of reliability. Reliability leads to predictability, which we dont want. Sure we dont want 4 non-starters

 

[Vader]

And F1 hasnt been very exciting for most of that 15 years or so, as a whole.

The thing that amuses me a little is how people are bothered by the sudden lack of reliability. Reliability leads to predictability, which we dont want. Sure we dont want 4 non-starters

There's reliability and there's reliability.

We don't want 4 non-starters, or the Aston Martin scenario where we know the drivers risk permanent nerve damage if they were to finish the race.

What's arguably desirable is a situation where cars have ~10-15% chance of breaking down in any given race.

Agree that 100% reliability can often contribute to boring racing. Safety Cars are a great way of bunching the pack, eliminating any large time gaps that the better teams may have created.

 

[Jatz]

And F1 hasnt been very exciting for most of that 15 years or so, as a whole.

The thing that amuses me a little is how people are bothered by the sudden lack of reliability. Reliability leads to predictability, which we dont want. Sure we dont want 4 non-starters

I don't disagree, it's why I'm actually enjoying the racing that's occurring at the moment.

Take Hamilton on the weekend. Once he went onto the hards, tried chasing down Antonelli - probably went too hard, fell back behind Russell and Leclerc and at that point you assume he finishes 4th (probably by 5-10 seconds). Instead he's able to hang on and actually goes back past Charles.

The battery part of it sucks but the racing is actually improved as far as I'm concerned. I'm far more entertained with the last two races than I have been in a lot of the races of the last 15 years.

The reliability is a bit of a problem but only in the sense that you want to at least see all cars start. Obviously Aston need to sort their shit out as well, that's completely unsustainable on the drivers.

 

[happy_eagle]

There's no reason why they shouldn't already to this considering there's a cost cap.

Want to use your budget running around a track between races? Go for it!

One argument I've heard against it is (I think via Andrea Stella) was that teams would simply overwork their staff if there were not forced breaks and rules around when you could work on the car. He was referring more to the summer shutdown, that forces teams to go on vacation etc..

 

[Bedi]

And F1 hasnt been very exciting for most of that 15 years or so, as a whole.

The thing that amuses me a little is how people are bothered by the sudden lack of reliability. Reliability leads to predictability, which we dont want. Sure we dont want 4 non-starters

With the exception of 2021 which was one of the greatest seasons ever in F1, or any sport for that matter. Fact it coincided with Drive to Survive is the reason why it's so bloody hard to get F1 tickets these days

 

[Cromulant]

With the exception of 2021 which was one of the greatest seasons ever in F1, or any sport for that matter. Fact it coincided with Drive to Survive is the reason why it's so bloody hard to get F1 tickets these days

Yes that is absolutely true

 

[Gasometer]

My pov of the past 15 years is that I had Webber and then Riccardo to keep me interested. There were some great races where they unexpectedly popped up and got a podium or P1. Maybe not every race but certainly enough to keep me interested.

The other thing is the DTS pov

Having watched every season there’s DTS Originals (s1-2-3) and then the Rest.

DTS Originals fell in love with the sport because of the insights into the Drivers.

DTS the rest drifted so far from the Originals that it’s just practically unwatchable.

It frustrates me that DTS viewers get lumped into the same bunch; I find it hard to believe that anyone watching the last 3 seasons of DTS are rushing to F1.

 

[Bedi]

Just thinking back to 1994 when new regulations put Williams well behind Benetton (despite Senna's freakish efforts in pushing that car to the limits – which prob led to his demise), they managed to fix the car by mid season to go on and challenge. And just reminds me a bit of McLaren right now. Hence I'm not putting a line through them just yet

Lando Norris urges McLaren to seize unexpected F1 opportunity

McLaren's MCL40 car has proved to be a step behind the Mercedes and Ferrari cars so far in 2026.

racingnews365.com

 

[Cromulant]

Just thinking back to 1994 when new regulations put Williams well behind Benetton (despite Senna's freakish efforts in pushing that car to the limits – which prob led to his demise), they managed to fix the car by mid season to go on and challenge. And just reminds me a bit of McLaren right now. Hence I'm not putting a line through them just yet

Lando Norris urges McLaren to seize unexpected F1 opportunity

McLaren's MCL40 car has proved to be a step behind the Mercedes and Ferrari cars so far in 2026.

racingnews365.com

Bigger gaps between races and more testing which helps.

I dont think theyre totally out of either fight but its a long way back, especially if they dont bank a couple of good results in Japan.

 

[Bedi]

Bigger gaps between races and more testing which helps.

I dont think theyre totally out of either fight but its a long way back, especially if they dont bank a couple of good results in Japan.

Given all the changes, I just wonder if FIA will allow testing during this enforced layoff

 

[Cromulant]

Given all the changes, I just wonder if FIA will allow testing during this enforced layoff

They should

 

[StFly]

Given all the changes, I just wonder if FIA will allow testing during this enforced layoff

I would say there'd be no direction of such.

Drivers might wish to just chill and go away.
Teams might wish to just have time out of spotlight to work out issues internally.
FIA would need overview of literally everything if there was a directive to engage testing in any sort of off period, and given it'd be the FIA they'd balls up 60% of it from the start, figure out how to screw up 30% and be happy with the remaining 10% as everyone is ungrateful.

In any event on my end;

Williams, Mclaren, Audi and Cadillac can all use some times to fine tune their cars a bit more.
AM is bent over, already bleeding heavily in a creek with no boat, no oars having a swim they are that much up shit creek with their car. Do remember;

This is AM's first year as a works team.
This is AMs first year creating their own gearbox.
This is AM's first year of creating their own rear wing.
Their car is literally not drivable for extended periods as it wants to tear itself apart at present.

You are not fixing that in months, try years as you are building a new car to fit an engine in as gearbox needs motor to function in a motor vehicle and cars need a back end. There is also such division that;

Honda basically gaslighted AM reps that they had staff, when in fact most left for Red Bull.
Am gaslighted Honda and blamed them for all their issues with this car to begin with, only visited Honda once also.
Adrian Blewy came in November last year to tinker with that car a few months before testing, hence their issues, and he's currently the one spilling tea and going "I'm only new here" to get blamed for things so he can get demoted and GTFO to keep some credits in that bank.

That's not harmonious, that's a slow moving car crash of a company that is finding out its seat is vibrating the users into orbit. They don't need more testing, they need to re-brand WC. Want Company?

 

[Bedi]

I would say there'd be no direction of such.

Drivers might wish to just chill and go away.
Teams might wish to just have time out of spotlight to work out issues internally.
FIA would need overview of literally everything if there was a directive to engage testing in any sort of off period, and given it'd be the FIA they'd balls up 60% of it from the start, figure out how to screw up 30% and be happy with the remaining 10% as everyone is ungrateful.

In any event on my end;

Williams, Mclaren, Audi and Cadillac can all use some times to fine tune their cars a bit more.
AM is bent over, already bleeding heavily in a creek with no boat, no oars having a swim they are that much up shit creek with their car. Do remember;

This is AM's first year as a works team.
This is AMs first year creating their own gearbox.
This is AM's first year of creating their own rear wing.
Their car is literally not drivable for extended periods as it wants to tear itself apart at present.

You are not fixing that in months, try years as you are building a new car to fit an engine in as gearbox needs motor to function in a motor vehicle and cars need a back end. There is also such division that;

Honda basically gaslighted AM reps that they had staff, when in fact most left for Red Bull.
Am gaslighted Honda and blamed them for all their issues with this car to begin with, only visited Honda once also.
Adrian Blewy came in November last year to tinker with that car a few months before testing, hence their issues, and he's currently the one spilling tea and going "I'm only new here" to get blamed for things so he can get demoted and GTFO to keep some credits in that bank.

That's not harmonious, that's a slow moving car crash of a company that is finding out its seat is vibrating the users into orbit. They don't need more testing, they need to re-brand WC. Want Company?

If it were Senna or Schumacher, they wouldn't be relaxing or chilling out. They be doing absolutely everything they could to understand a car that wasn't delivering. But guess that's the difference between being elite and the rest

 

[Cold Ghost]

No spending cap led to an arms race where testing and upgrades often changed the pecking order, however it really impacted the lower teams.
A spending and testing cap now limits that, and massively benefits the team that gets it right from day dot.

This season really could have benefited with a relaxation of those rules.

 

[StFly]

If it were Senna or Schumacher, they wouldn't be relaxing or chilling out. They be doing absolutely everything they could to understand a car that wasn't delivering. But guess that's the difference between being elite and the rest

Well the current crop has Max going to other race events as he's the nutter of the grouping. George is el presidente of the drivers so generally on call, probably why he still rocks the segway, Lando split with his beau so might be on the prowl but then again, is British so who knows!

Is to say outside of Max this grouping appears to be the more social butterflies of F1 drivers.

 

[happy_eagle]

Rumours are he will be the new Aston Martin TP

 

[jb04]

Mini silly season!

Lawrence’s dump truck of money must have made it to sweeten the deal.

I still think in an ideal world Wheatley is running RBR.

 

[Bedi]

Rumours are he will be the new Aston Martin TP

Looks like it, but shit, I'd be going for Christian Horner any day of the week. But seems like Newey has blocked that move, which is extraordinary given their immense success together.

Horner is down to his final option as Aston Martin close in on Wheatley

It's time he took matters into his own hands

www.f1oversteer.com