How F1 drivers have responded ‘off the record’ to Stefano Domenicali’s claims about the 2026 regulations

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Formula 1 teams will be turning their full attention to the new cars in 2026 for the second half of this year.

Teams have been able to work on their challengers since January, while the power unit makers have been working on their engines for much longer.

F1 will welcome two new power unit manufacturers in 2026, with Audi joining the fray for the first time and Red Bull building their power units for the first time in conjunction with Ford. GM will also join in 2028, having gained an entry with American car manufacturer Cadillac.

It is set to be a massive reset for all of the teams, although F1 drivers have all reached a ‘very critical’ conclusion when they tested the 2026 cars on simulators for the first time.

Stefano Domenicali has dismissed drivers’ claims as being tactical, but journalist Edd Straw has revealed what he’s been told off the record in the Hungarian GP paddock on The Race F1 podcast.

F1 drivers disagree with Stefano Domenicali on 2026 F1 cars

The 2026 F1 chassis will have a X and Y mode that drivers can activate on the straights and through the corners to reduce drag and increase downforce, but there are concerns that the power units will reach their top speeds too easily.

This has the potential to create dangerous scenarios for drivers on the straights at tracks such as Azerbaijan and Monza, and drivers have quietly voiced their concerns, according to Straw.

“It’s interesting, the whole question about the impact that the [energy] harvesting is gonna have. We had Stefano Domenicali on the podcast recently. He said he’s not concerned because the idea about slowing on the straights or even downshifting on the straights is out of date,” said Straw.

“But at the same time, I spoke to a couple of drivers off record in the paddock in Hungary, who said: ‘Yeah, you are still doing that.’ And even on extreme deployment circuits, or rather extreme challenge circuits in terms of harvesting that energy you need, they have to do it.

“But of course, equally, the current race drivers are not jumping in the sim every week to drive the 2026 cars. So they could be out of date in their expectations.”

Which F1 team is set to be the most competitive in 2026?

It’s tough to know exactly which F1 team will be the most competitive in 2026, but there have been a few rumours to suggest that Mercedes might come out on top.

Mercedes is rumoured to have the quickest engine package, which could lead to them returning to dominating races like they did pre-ground effect revival. George Russell says Mercedes is now 95% focused on their car for 2026.

Audi’s engine for 2026 is still behind their rivals, while Red Bull is also not predicted to be at the same level as Ferrari and Mercedes.

Although McLaren is set to be a customer team for 2026, a former F1 car designer thinks they will maintain their advantage.