F1 2026: FIA willing to make 'adjustments' after scathing Max Verstappen review

Max Verstappen,FIA,Red Bull,Belgium,2025 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

FIA willing to make F1 'adjustments' after scathing Max Verstappen review

Verstappen has been vocal about the 2026 cars

Chris Deeley

Monday 2 March 2026 09:12

FIA single seater director Nikolas Tombazis has revealed that adjustments may be made to the new F1 regulations in order to mitigate some concerns about the new cars.

Max Verstappen has been the most prominent voice complaining about the results of the regulation changes introduced for 2026, comparing the new cars unfavourably to Formula E.

Some tweaks to the rules have already been made before the first race of the season, including a notable move to measure engine compression rates at ambient temperatures and 130ºC from June 1st, a direct response to a piece of mechanical chicanery from Mercedes.

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The 2026 edition of F1 is expected to be a couple of seconds a lap slower than fans are used to, with energy management set to be a key part of racing – not words which have ever thrilled anyone tuning in to watch.

FIA chief: We can adjust rules as a sport

Ahead of next weekend's season opener in Melbourne, Tombazis said: "The cars are new. In the period of last summer and last autumn, there were a lot of people driving simulators and expressing huge concerns. I think the comments in Barcelona and in Bahrain are certainly much better than people going in on the simulator, but there are some comments, like what Max said.

"I think they’re getting used to the new cars, but we are completely conscious that we may need to make adjustments, and that has been a discussion.

"We’ve been open with the teams and the PU manufacturers for a long, long time, and with the drivers, indeed. I think there are some ways that we can act as a sport to make adjustments in the rules.

"Clearly, they would also need approval through the governance process – and we can’t just say tomorrow ‘we’ll change this and change that’, there’s a process.

"We are taking the drivers’ comments into consideration. We are asking them a number of questions to give us feedback, and the teams and the PU manufacturers are being extremely constructive in this process.

"So, I don’t think we are exactly where we’re going to be in a few months from now, we may have to make some adjustments and, frankly, I don’t think the adjustments are huge, that we need to make."

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Max Verstappen FIA Nikolas Tombazis