Domenicali hits back at critics of Formula 1's 2026 regulations

The Italian executive is not just fighting back over regulation complaints, but also those regarding 2026’s competitiveness.

Domenicali had to stage an early fightback against complaints over the new era of cars, particularly from drivers as big as Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso.

That battle is far from over, but at a roundtable meeting with GPBlog present, the former Ferrari team boss was quick to cite the numbers.

He began: “There's been some, I would say, debate on the technical regulations, mainly from the inner world, some drivers, some people that are part of our ecosystem. But in a nutshell, the championship is becoming very, very fascinating.

F1 has mainly faced complaints over power-starved cars due to the planned 50-50 split of combustion and electric power.

Tweaks have come in since to address such issues, including drivers not being able to go flat out in qualifying and dangerous closing speeds that resulted in a nasty incident for Ollie Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Domenicali added: “I think that what has been decided in terms of the evolution of regulation is the right thing for the sport.

He finished: “Numbers are growing; the new fans are becoming more and more. Therefore, we have an opportunity to connect with them and explain to them what our sport really is. We want new people to come.