F1 boss hints at major shift in rule change mindset after ‘stopping a dominance period’ claim

Admitting that stopping one-team or driver dominance was a factor in past regulation changes, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali explained why this is no longer the case amid fears over the impact of the planned 2026 reset.

After Formula 1 last shook-up the rules in 2022, bringing back ground effect aerodynamics, the next overhaul is planned for 2026 when a new generation of cars and also power units will be brought into effect.

F1 no longer needs rule changes to affect pecking order

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

While F1’s ground effect era was initially characterised by crushing Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominance, that is no longer the case, with F1 2024 having produced seven different grand prix-winning drivers across 14 rounds.

And Domenicali – who predicted that this convergence would come – expects more of the same for the rest of this regulatory era.

“I’m very pleased to say what I said at the beginning of the year is exactly what is happening, when everyone was believing that I was saying that for political reasons,” Domenicali told Motorsport.com .

“This will for sure continue until the end of 2025. This element of sporting action, and sporting drama, is definitely there.”

However, this has created growing concerns over the upcoming F1 2026 regulations, which bring with them a strong chance of spreading the grid out again, especially considering the power units will also change in a major way this time, shifting to a 50/50 split on internal combustion and electrical power.

But, looking even longer term, Domenicali suggested that the regularity of rule changes could be scaled back, boosting the chances of more extended periods with an ultra-competitive grid.

Domenicali claimed that these overhauls are no longer needed by the sport and governing body FIA as a method of stopping a dominant team or driver, making reference to his time with the then-dominant Ferrari team.

Now, with additional factors like the budget cap and sliding scale on allotted windtunnel time at play, rule changes can be considered solely from a technological point of view.

“This is a point of: is really now the time to do in 2030 another step change?” Domenicali stated. “We are not in a position to answer today, because we need to wait and see how this new technology will come in and how this will be developed.

“Therefore, there will be a point at which we need to discuss about it, and we need to understand if the need of the manufacturers, the need of teams and the need of the engineering, is definitely there as it was when there was the need to change the regulation.

“The need for change normally is put on the table for two reasons. One is because we are the pinnacle of motorsport, and we are endorsing the top level of technology.

“The second in the past was that, because it was pretty clear: the objective was stopping a dominance period of cars. I remember when we were dressed in a different colours [Ferrari red], so that’s part of the game.

“But now with the new elements of regulation, budget cap and aerodynamics restriction, I think that this point is not anymore on the table of discussion.

“So the real thing is technological challenge in the future. Is it relevant that the change will be in such a short time cycle of five years? That will be the point of discussion for the future.”

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The F1 2026 regulations succeeded in retaining Honda and luring Audi and Ford to the series – the latter to partner with the newly-formed Red Bull Powertrains – though one manufacturer looks set to drop out with Alpine readying to conclude use of the Renault power unit and transition to customer team status for F1 2026.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the Belgian Grand Prix, then-Alpine team principal Bruno Famin confirmed that a proposal has been issued to the staff representative at Viry-Chatillon, Renault’s engine base, to shift the workforce from the Formula 1 power unit to working on developing new technologies for the Renault Group, which would bring an end to Renault as an F1 PU manufacturer.

“We have presented a project, the project is not the power unit,” Famin said.

“The project is much much bigger than that. It’s a transformation project at the level of the Alpine brand.

“Alpine is developing as a huge project of development with seven new models in the coming years with high-end technology. It’s very ambitious to build this new sporting brand and to make it known outside of France everywhere in the world.

“The project which has been presented, at the beginning of the week, to the staff representative in Viry-Chatillon is to reallocate the resources from one side to another – one side being the development of the Formula 1 power unit, which is already being made in Viry – to dedicate those resources and skills to developing new technologies for the new products of the brand.

“One of the consequences of this projects, if it’s accepted, would be for Alpine F1 team to buy a power unit instead of developing its own power unit and then, we’ll have more resources to develop the brand and a different power unit to race with for the Formula 1 team.”

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