Carlos Sainz thinks it is still too early to completely write off the 2026 Formula 1 regulations. Many drivers concluded during the test days in Bahrain that the brand-new cars take the driving pleasure out of the premier class, mainly because of the larger role that energy management will play during races. However, Sainz hopes that his fellow drivers will still give the rules a chance: ‘Otherwise, I will be the first to go to Domenicali or Ben Sulayem together with Max’.
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During the winter break, the brand-new cars for the 2026 season were eagerly anticipated. Formula 1 entered a new regulation cycle, which meant both the chassis and engine rules had to be completely overhauled. However, many drivers in Bahrain were not very enthusiastic about the 2026 cars after the first test kilometers. For instance, Max Verstappen described driving them as ‘Formula E on steroids’, while Fernando Alonso was also not pleased with the new energy management.
Carlos Sainz – chairman of the drivers’ union, the GPDA – hopes that his colleagues will still give the new rules a second chance. “I am sincerely convinced that we have to wait and see,” Sainz told Mundo Deportivo. “Wait five or six races, see how the rules turn out, see if the races are fun. Whether they are more fun than last year, or less fun. Whether there is more excitement, or less excitement. And whether the drivers have more or less fun.” However, if the drivers’ complaints persist, the Spaniard promises: “Then I will be the first to say that I am not happy with what I see.”
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‘Will then go to Domenicali together with Max’
The Williams driver even promises to go straight to the top men of F1 and the FIA. “If I find that I don’t like it, or that it doesn’t motivate me, or if I see that this F1 has too many negative aspects, then I will be the first to go to Stefano Domenicali or Mohammed Ben Sulayem of the FIA together with Max to talk,” Sainz says, referring to the earlier criticism from the Dutch driver.
“To say to them: ‘Hey, this isn’t working, you made a mistake, we’re not having fun in the car, something has to change, because this is leading nowhere’. I will be the first to do that, and if I have to do it together with Max or George or whoever, then I will,” the GPDA chairman continues. “However, for now, I maintain that I personally feel it is not yet the right time and that it is not appropriate to pass judgment without having driven even a single race.”
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View the 2026 F1 calendar here
