Bernie Ecclestone. Photo / Photosport
Bernie Ecclestone has added his voice to those criticising Formula One’s new regulations, saying it is now an “engineers’ world championship” and risks losing fans as a result.
The 2026 season gets underway in Melbourne next week, with what is being billed as the biggest rules change in F1 history. New hybrid power units delivering 50-50 battery and engine power have convinced new manufacturers such as Audi, Ford and General Motors to enter the sport, and Japanese giants Honda to return.
But not everyone is convinced. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen admitted during pre-season testing in Bahrain that he did not find the new cars fun to drive, saying F1 had become a “management” formula – constantly trying to top up your car’s battery so that you can use your “boost” button – and describing it as “Formula E on steroids”.
In a new interview with the Up To Speed podcast, Verstappen repeated his threat to leave the sport in the near future. “I definitely see myself nearing the end,” the 28-year-old said. “I’d say the new regulations aren’t helping to extend my F1 career, but it doesn’t matter, I’m happy with my trajectory, I can easily leave it behind, I have other projects.”
Now Ecclestone has waded in. The sport’s former ringmaster, 95, predicted there would be “confusion” at the start of the new season because “everyone has to relearn Formula One”. And he admitted he could see why Verstappen was far from convinced.
“The rules certainly don’t favour Max Verstappen and his style of driving,” Ecclestone said in an interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de. “It’s less about racing. But that’s how things are developing: more regulations, more rules for the drivers, don’t do this, don’t do that.”
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali last week called for “calm”, emphasising that we were at the start of a new set of regulations and asking fans to give the new formula time. The Italian described the 2026 machines as “beautiful”, the engine noise as “very nice”, and said he did not understand all the negativity. Domenicali predicted that the wrinkles would be ironed out and the cars would become more efficient and racy.
Ecclestone, though, said the issue was more fundamental than that. “The ‘DNA’ of Formula One is that ‘it’s a drivers’ world championship and not an engineers’,” he stressed. “Formula One is now competing more with Formula E. Maybe the fans like that, but I don’t think so. The danger is that we’ll lose the fans. I sincerely hope I’m wrong.”
Ecclestone said he felt Mercedes and George Russell were in the best position to capitalise on the new regulations, if the Englishman could show a “killer instinct”.
But he added that Ferrari had also impressed him in pre-season, saying it would be a “great story” if Lewis Hamilton could win his eighth world title wearing red and praising the 41-year-old’s commitment to the sport.
“Watch out for Ferrari,” Ecclestone said. “I hope Ferrari has a say in the matter. Formula One would benefit if Ferrari became world champion. Lewis doesn’t want to give up, doesn’t want to stop without having achieved it. Maybe it will work out this year. That would be a great story.”
– Telegraph
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