F1's new regulations dismantled by US TV pundit in brutal takedown after Australian Grand Prix

Hamilton during FP1 in Melbourne — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026 Regulations

F1's new regulations dismantled by TV pundit in brutal takedown after Australian Grand Prix

F1 has come under fire for its controversial new regulations

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 9 March 2026 23:30

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Sometimes it's good to leave our Eurocentric racing bubble and consider how F1 is being perceived across the pond in the US.

After all, F1's enjoyed unprecedented growth in the US and now boast 52million fans thanks to the Drive to Survive boom. Heading into 2026, F1 launched a whole new era in the US on Apple TV, who will exclusively house the sport until at least 2032.

But, that only tells half the story about the US motorsport fanbase, with another sect of diehard fans whose love for F1 extends way back.

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One such fan is stock car racer/NASCAR commentator and TV pundit Parker Kligerman, who dropped his brutal verdict on the 2026 cars and rules on social media platform X. It was eloquent, thought-provoking and almost surgical.

He started by writing: "The new 2026 F1 rules have had their first real showing and the internet is in an uproar. For good reason - it feels like betrayal. Like the button-down shirts with 'Marketing' in their title, who went on LinkedIn in 2020 after watching Drive To Survive on Netflix and started posting 'The Productivity Lessons The Pinnacle Of Motorsport Has Taught Me,' won.

"Then they went to their friend who has quietly been watching racing since they were born and started teaching them about how racing works. Not able to see their eyes roll from constantly refreshing their LinkedIn to see how many auto-generated comments they are getting on their post."

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Kligerman: F1 changes led by manufacturers

Kligerman then argued that the new rules have been crafted with the manufacturers themselves in mind, rather than consideration for actual racing.

He continued: "And thus in the span of 6 years, F1 effectively doubled its manufacturers' participation in the sport. This, and viewership, is how racing series are evaluated. So they all had to get together and come up with a rule set that would allow their boards to agree.

"See, they are in a bind. Nations' governments are telling them to make electric-powered cars that consumers don’t want. So the marketing chiefs with active LinkedIn profiles say, 'We need to make these cool; would be great if this F1 thing could do that for us.'

"Oh, and we can hide this enormous spend under the guise of technical progress and development, which is what is always said about how racing rules are changed.

"So the heads of motorsport for the manufacturers go into meetings with the heads of the racing series and say, 'We need this to be able to invest.' And the racing series, basically salivating at the mouth, say, 'Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir, and if we can offer you anything else you let us know,' as they simply want the money and advertising dollars."

The piece concluded: "To me, the current state of F1 and these rules is a perfect example of when the vicious cycle that is popularity and fame leads to people making decisions who were never a fan of the sport and won’t be the second it starts being un-cool again.

"To have the pinnacle of motorsport running what feels like now primarily battery-powered cars in front of the biggest global motorsport audience has us all asking, 'Wtf did you do to my F1?!'"

"And the drivers who have dedicated their lives to the craft of driving, sold as youngsters on the premise of driving fire-breathing monsters at the limit of adhesion, are being held back by their 'battery efficiency engineer'.

"It may all be fine and F1 will continue to grow, but I wonder when the next wave hits that causes the car manufacturers to question their involvement if someone may finally stand up and ask, 'Do we really need you guys to be deciding the rules?'"

F1 2026 regulations NASCAR