(Motorsport-Total.com) – The new Formula 1 regulations for 2026 are creating more action on the racetrack. Critics, however, accuse the premier class of many overtakes this year being too artificial, as they are mainly due to different battery charge levels of the cars.
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However, this is not visible in the TV broadcasts, as Formula 1 usually does not display the battery charge level in duels between two cars. Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has now explained why this is deliberately omitted.
When asked if it would help fans better understand the situation on the track and thus improve the product, he replied: “I believe it is exactly the opposite. Because nobody cares how the car is driven.”
“Of course, this data is relevant for a certain target group of our fans. And of course, it is available,” he emphasizes. For the general public, such information in the broadcast, which is watched worldwide by millions of people, is even distracting.
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“On Saturday, I had an incredible and interesting conversation with [director] George Lucas,” Domenicali reveals and explains: “He was in Hungary and gave me an incredible insight into how new fans follow Formula 1.”
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“I believe he gave us an incredible impetus to realize how we can really simplify things. Because new fans do not understand what goes on behind the scenes. They are fascinated that there is so much action,” explains the Formula 1 boss.
He is convinced: “The vast majority of people just want to see what happens on the racetrack. They are not interested in the throttle angle or the percentage of brake pressure to understand how to overtake a driver.”
Therefore, they do not want to overwhelm or discourage new fans with too much information in the broadcast.
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