Mercedes emerged as the biggest victors after Formula 1 introduced new regulations in 2014. The Silver Arrows along with Lewis Hamilton dominated the turbo-hybrid era (2014-21) like never before. During this time, the Briton claimed six of his seven F1 titles and Mercedes won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships. However, such domination from one team is something the FIA do not want to repeat as they are looking to set strict rules in the upcoming regulations change in 2026.
According to Nicholas Tombazis, the FIA’s head of single-seaters, FIA “are convinced that the rules are so well structured that such a large lead cannot occur. In our opinion, the gaps will not be that big.” Following this, he further added as per Formule1, “There are some safety nets built in so that if someone falls really far behind, they can do a little more work to catch up. But we have learned how to prevent someone from really gaining a huge advantage.”
In doing so, they are actively trying to prevent one team from having utter dominance in the future. However, at the same time, the FIA would also try to avoid controversies as the 2026 regulations change will see six different engine suppliers.
Apart from the already existing suppliers that include Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Honda, two more brands will join as power unit suppliers, beginning in 2026. Red Bull will have engines from their own powertrains division in a partnership with Ford, and Audi would join the grid as a new constructor.
How far is Red Bull ahead of the competition?
While the work done by the constructors for the upcoming regulations in 2026 is strictly kept secret, the level of development at Milton-Keynes for the Red Bull powertrains division is regarded to have a significant advantage over its rivals. Despite the same, Christian Horner is not happy about the regulations.
The new regulations will have increased reliance on battery power and that is not something Horner looks forward to having. From 2026 onwards, the new engines will run on 50% battery power and 50% combustion engine.
As for the FIA, they are absolutely determined to ensure that no single team gets a huge advantage heading into the 2026 season. A similar scenario was also witnessed in 2023 when Red Bull claimed 21 wins out of 22 races. As a result of the Milton Keynes outfit’s recent domination, they are expected to carry on their spectacular run until the current regulations end in 2025.
