Flavio Briatore believes that Formula 1 commits an error by modifying the regulations for 2026.
The new radical technical rules for next year and the following, in particular the increased electrification of engines, have been the subject of intense debate in recent times.
The discussions, led by Red Bull and Ferrari, favorable to less radical electrification, even a return to the V10, have however resulted in any change of plan.
For Alpine, the transition from 2025 to 2026 could be excellent news, because the team abandons Renault Factory engines for the benefit of the Mercedes customer engine, expected as the new flagship engine.
However, Briatore, advisor to the Alpine F1 team, is still not satisfied.
-“I think it’s a mistake to change the rules because we are now at a point where we have 10 or 12 cars to two tenths near each other, and that’s what we have always hoped.”
“This is what we have always said to want: very close cars of each other and several different pilots winning Grands Prix. So now we change the rules? I don’t see the interest.”
The argument in favor of the change is that the new rules led Honda to return to her decision to leave the championship, while encouraging Audi to engage in it. Cadillac-GM also engages in Formula 1 in two stages, with its team in 2026 and its engine in 2029.
“It’s good but … that’s not the problem,” replies Briatore. “We have to come back to the foundation. And it is that we all wanted a formula 1 with cars close to each other and see the fight between the pilots. Now, that is the case. So what? ‘Let’s change again!’.”
“We will see, the rest remains a mystery. But very clearly, I would have changed absolutely nothing to the rules. What more do we want? More than what we see today is impossible.”
