(Motorsport-Total.com) – The new Formula 1 regulations for 2026 are causing a lot of discussion. Many fans have not yet warmed up to the new rules, and Max Verstappen has publicly stated several times that the premier class has moved far away from classic racing with the new regulations.
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In our photo gallery, we look at other Formula 1 rule changes in this millennium that, in retrospect, were probably a mistake – and were accordingly reversed quite quickly by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
One example is a rule from the 2005 season, when it was considered a good idea to ban tire changes. At that time, the drivers had to finish a race with only one set of tires – which, among other things, led to a serious accident involving Kimi Räikkönen at the Nürburgring.
Formula 1 Fails: These rule changes were a flop
Unsurprisingly, tire changes were allowed again a year later and remain an integral part of the premier class to this day. Further changes in our photo gallery concern, for example, qualifying or the points system in Formula 1.
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Whether the new Formula 1 rules for 2026 will also have to be rated as a flop in retrospect remains to be seen. Last week, the FIA announced several adjustments that are already set to take effect at the upcoming race in Miami.
Toto Wolff is convinced that the new regulations can fundamentally be a success. While one has to see how “the product can be improved,” as the Mercedes team boss recently said. “However, we should proceed with a scalpel and not with a baseball bat,” he emphasized.
“In a way, we have to learn from the past, where decisions were sometimes made without much thought, we then went too far and realized that it wasn’t good,” said Wolff. There are a few good examples of this in our photo gallery.