The 2022 regulations reset was billed as a move towards more competitive racing by the FIA and F1. And if the 2024 season is anything to go by, the ground-effect era of the sport has produced one of the most thrilling championship battles in recent times. However, with the focus now on the 2026 power unit regulations, Carlos Sainz has signaled his discontent with F1’s decision to abandon this golden formula.
Per Motorsport-Total.com, the Williams driver said, “It’s a shame that everything will be reset in 2026 [with the new rules], because I feel that Formula 1 is creating equal conditions for all teams and all drivers for the first time in a very, very long time.”
Carlos Sainz is a little annoyed that F1 will have completely new regulations in 2026.
“I think F1 is in a good situation at the moment,” he said, because the field is currently fairly balanced.
“I think that the teams have more equal opportunities in the fight,” he adds.
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Sainz‘s apprehensions are understandable given the complexion of the competition in 2024. After two years of Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominating the field, the regulations brought the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes closer into the equation.
This season, it was a three-way fight between McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull for the Constructors’ title. With new regulations on the horizon, it is inevitable that one team will have the legs on the others and it will take some catching up again for the others to serve up a really competitive field.
Despite Sainz’s apprehensions, Williams look forward to 2026
While Sainz may not be as thrilled to welcome a new era of F1, his new team, Williams are looking forward to the regulations reset. Firstly, with the new engine regulations, the Grove-based team have placed their bets on the Mercedes engine — a smart decision by what has been said in the paddock in the past year.
Team principal, James Vowles has gone as far as to write off the 2025 season to maximize the 2026 regulations. For them, the clear pathway to climbing back up the field is to focus solely on the latest regulations with hopes of nailing the aero regulations that will also take effect from 2026 onwards.
In that sense, Sainz’s arrival is key to Vowles’ plans for the team. With a solid car underneath, the former Mercedes man has signed up one of the strongest driver lineups in the sport. The #55 driver alongside Alex Albon could prove quite beneficial for Williams to extract the maximum out of their Mercedes-powered package come 2026.
