Nikolas Tombazis takes the criticism of the 2026 F1 regulations seriously, but does not believe the FIA can be held solely responsible for it. According to the Greek, director of the single-seater program within the FIA, many of the drivers’ objections were already known beforehand, but the decision-making within the sport made it impossible to implement changes before the start of the season. In doing so, he partly places the blame on the involved engine manufacturers.
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The new regulations, which place a strong emphasis on electric drive and energy management, have been under fire all season. In an interview with The Race, Tombazis explains that the FIA had already anticipated the problems. “I think drivers are by definition quite demanding customers,” he noted with a wink. “So we don’t expect them to make things look better than they are or to withhold their opinions. We had already anticipated many of the complaints they expressed in the two years leading up to the season and tried to implement some changes. But that didn’t succeed due to the existing governance system. So I think, realistically, it was predictable.”
FIA wanted to intervene earlier
According to Tombazis, the cause lay in the decision-making within the so-called Power Unit Advisory Committee, where the FIA, FOM, and engine manufacturers jointly decide on regulation changes. “Without such an agreement, an engine manufacturer that was not previously in Formula 1, like Audi, could have said: ‘We’re not yet in Formula 1, so we can spend five times as much as everyone else.’ That wouldn’t have been fair.” At the same time, he acknowledges that this structure delayed the necessary adjustments. “I regret that we had to wait so long to change the rules. We discussed the package for 2027 and 2028 in May. Ideally, we could have done that a few years earlier, then this whole discussion wouldn’t have happened.”
In June, it was announced that the power distribution will be adjusted in the long term. In 2027, the balance shifts from 53/47 to 58/42 in favor of the combustion engine. A further step towards the intended 60/40 distribution will wait until 2028.
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Nikola Tombazis finds races ‘quite exciting’
Still, Tombazis is less negative about the current generation of cars than many drivers. “I would say most races were quite exciting,” he emphasized. “There was a fight, despite one manufacturer having a clear advantage,” he referred to Mercedes. “In the past, when a new regulation cycle started, the races were very monotonous. This year, although Mercedes has won most of the races, the races were still quite exciting, with many overtakes.”
The Greek emphasizes that the FIA takes the signals from the paddock seriously but must also safeguard the broader interests of the sport. “Balance is always necessary,” he concluded. “The drivers are important figures in this sport, so I think we did well to listen carefully and act accordingly. But I also think we have to think about the spectators, who want to see change, exciting races, and such.”
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