F1 team boss suggests 2026 rule changes will make one circuit ‘crazy’ to drive next season

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The Formula 1 summer break has forced every team to step away from their work for two weeks ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

However, when everyone returns, their focus will be on next year’s Formula 1 cars and the challenges they present.

Haas are the only team still planning a major update this season, with only minor tweaks expected elsewhere in the paddock between now and the finale in Abu Dhabi.

The new ruleset has the potential to completely change the pecking order on the grid next year.

Cadillac might be at a disadvantage with new testing protocols being put in place, and the American team have still yet to secure their first drivers for 2026.

The way the new cars will race against each other is going to be fascinating, with more emphasis on the electrical component in the power unit and a brand-new aerodynamic system.

It means certain tracks are going to drive very differently, with one particular circuit threatening to become ‘crazy’ depending on how the energy harvesting is managed.

READ MORE: Everything we know about Formula 1’s 2026 regulation changes

F1 team boss suggests the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be ‘crazy’ with new 2026 cars

Journalist Jon Noble was speaking on The Race F1 Podcast about next year’s rules.

There are concerns among drivers about the cars, and Noble explained: “I think the part of the problem is that and this is something Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA single seater director told me, is that if you put a racing driver into a car that has less grip, and one that requires a bit more work on the straights, you won’t find a single racing driver who’s happy with that.

“So, I think you’ve got a scenario where if you put these drivers into 2026 cars that had more grip and were easy to drive around corners and an absolute breeze on the straights and faster, then the automatic reaction is these are better.

“Ultimately, they’re different. There’s going to be a different challenge. And actually, you can argue that there’s less downforce in the corners. So it’s going to actually be a bigger challenge for them.

“So, corners like Copse now, for example, that are easy flat, it’s going to be a lift, it’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to separate the good drivers from the less good drivers.

“There’s so much we still don’t understand about how these things are going to play out, how they’re going to harvest the energy in the corners.

“One team boss told me that, Baku, for example, is going to be crazy because there are very limited opportunities to recharge the battery.

“So, the key to the lap time there basically will be how much you’re on the throttle, revving the engine out to its max in the city section, because that will then define how quick you’re on the straights.”

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Azerbaijan Grand Prix including Verstappen vs Ricciardo

Stefano Domenicali warns against one-team domination after the 2026 rule change

Many fans would argue that a change in regulations might not be necessary at this point in Formula 1.

The grid has converged to a point never seen before, with qualifying regularly decided by hundredths of a second.

However, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has quickly moved to reduce fears about a lack of competitiveness.

Domenicali thinks no one team will dominate F1 like Mercedes did from 2014 onwards, when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg won seven drivers’ championships on the bounce.

All eyes are going to be on the first few races of the season to see whether anyone has developed that level of advantage.

Not only that, but they will hope that cars aren’t forced to harvest energy too much, making the racing less exciting.