FIA director exposes F1 teams for 'secretive' 2026 preparations

The FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has revealed that not every F1 team is being as forthcoming with their data as he would like ahead of the 2026 regulations overhaul.

Next season, F1 will officially enter a new age once again after the last regulations change in 2022 which saw the return of the ground effect era.

For 2026, the FIA have focused on improving aerodynamics and agility of the machinery, with a new set of power unit rules aiming to revolutionise the sport, particularly where sustainability is concerned.

From next season, F1 will transition to using entirely sustainable fuels in a huge leap towards the sport's goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

On top of this, there will be an increased use of electric power in the 2026 units, with a 50 per cent electrical and 50 per cent thermal power distribution.

Discussing preparations for the new 2026 regulations that he oversees, Tombazis was asked by Auto Motor und Sport whether every F1 team had been cooperating.

The FIA’s single-seater director then responded: "Not all teams and engine manufacturers are equally transparent with their data. Some are quite secretive about what they do.

"Others are very open and support us with suggestions. We use this information to run our own simulations. And we have a good lever to intervene in certain areas should something get out of hand. This concerns maximum power, how much power can be reduced when charging on the straights, or the energy that can be recuperated."

Tombazis dismisses 'premature' 2026 criticism

The FIA's new regulations have not proved popular with many among the paddock before they have even had the chance to be properly implemented.

Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll spoke out earlier this year over his concerns of the sport's decision to go down the electrical energy route, whilst reigning champion Max Verstappen admitted he also harboured doubts over the new era.

But despite the growing rumours that even some of F1's greatest talents have their reservations about the upcoming regulations change, Tombazis has insisted that not everything has been cemented just yet.

“We have to go through a consultation process with the manufacturers. That means we can't change anything overnight. Overall, however, there is agreement on how to solve the problems," he added.

"There will be several more stages of evolution between now and the beginning of next year. The drivers sitting in the simulator often don't know what's being developed or what we're discussing with the teams. They often only have a snapshot of the current situation. But that's also why we let them drive in the simulator early on. That way, we find out about problems early on."

The former aerodynamics specialist worked with Benetton, McLaren and Ferrari prior to his role with the FIA and played a huge part of the Scuderia's success with F1 legend Michael Schumacher in the late nineties and early 2000s.

Given his vast experience, Tombazis urged drivers and key personnel in F1 to hold off their judgements over the 2026 pivot until the final product is revealed, saying: "We haven't finalised the rules yet. They will be adjusted step by step, depending on the experiences the teams have and report back to us.

"The more intensively the teams and engine manufacturers get involved in development, and the more often the drivers try out the 2026 cars in the simulator, the more feedback we get from them.

"Between now and the start of next year's season, I expect we will take a number of precautions to improve energy flow and ensure that the cars do not suddenly slow down on the straights or do anything else unnatural. That is why many of the comments about how the cars behave are premature. The product is not yet finished."

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