Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali insists drivers are free to voice their concerns over the sport's power unit regulations, rejecting any suggestion that criticism is being silenced.
The 2026 technical regulations have split opinion across the paddock, with Max Verstappen among the most vocal critics of rules that have reshaped driving styles and race craft.
Verstappen has previously labelled the yoyo pattern of overtakes and re-overtakes as "anti-racing", and joked at last month's Belgian Grand Prix that someone would "probably shoot me outside the door" if he spoke out against the regulations.
The Red Bull driver expanded on his stance a week later in Hungary.
"I've spoken my mind about these regulations already a long time, and in the beginning, most people were saying, 'ah, he's complaining; he should shut up'."
"But I have to say that the last few races, more and more people are seeing the same thing that I could see coming already a long time, and it's not about me not liking not winning anymore."
"It's just because I care about the product, and because I've said it many times, and at one point that's also enough, right? But of course, when people keep asking you, then yeah, maybe it's not appreciated always, but I'm just speaking. I'm just speaking my mind because you see certain things coming, and then sometimes people say, 'yeah, but this was a great race'."
"I say, 'yeah, but it's not really realistic the way we are racing'. And then you arrive to some tracks, and yeah, you're driving on not a lot of horsepower for F1 standards, and it's a little bit painful, which I could see coming already for years. It's then, of course, not the most exciting. But at one point, I'm also a little bit just fed up with repeating myself because it's already hard enough just having to drive it."
Domenicali says he would rather thrash out solutions privately but stresses that every driver's viewpoint deserves respect.
"You know me, we are not here to put tape on the mouth of anyone. The beauty of our sport is that everyone can have an opinion, but the opinion is an opinion."
"There is someone who has the duty to have a line. There are certain drivers that prefer, of course, certain things. That in the process we have highlighted the need to be constructive in that respect."
New pushback from Domenicali
According to the Guardian, Domenicali has since gone further in dismissing the criticism, arguing that most fans are "loving" the 2026 product and are far more interested in the on-track battles than technical gripes about energy management or so-called "clipping".
He went as far as saying it was "wrong" for leading drivers such as Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to talk down the new regulations in public, as reported by ESPN.
F1 is bigger than any driver
Back in March, Verstappen admitted he was weighing up his long-term future in the sport if the regulations remained unchanged for 2026, such was his frustration with the new power unit rules and their heavier reliance on electrical power compared with previous seasons.
The current split sits close to 50-50 between internal combustion and electrical power, but the FIA confirmed in May that it had agreed with the teams to shift this balance to 58-42 for 2027 and 60-40 for 2028.
Since then, Verstappen has stopped short of threatening to leave the sport, though uncertainty lingers over whether he will remain at Red Bull or move elsewhere. Team principal Laurent Mekies recently revealed that Red Bull are already hearing from "good drivers" interested in a future seat as the team works to keep Verstappen and close the gap to the front of the grid.
Verstappen himself has also addressed the wider unrest within the Red Bull garage, saying he would have preferred certain former colleagues to have stayed on but rejecting claims that the exits amounted to unusual drama within the team.
Domenicali was full of praise for the Dutchman when discussing his importance to the sport.
"Max is an incredible driver. I've stated so many times that maybe I'm getting older to repeat that!"
"Max is in a situation where if he loves Formula 1. We discuss together the regulations for the future. I have an incredible relationship with him."
"F1 is big enough for him to be part of us, but of course he will decide his future, the way that he prefers to do. The sport will look ahead but my opinion is that Max will stay with us, and I really hope so, and that's what I'm stating. The sport is big, much bigger than anyone else, all of us."
Every grand prix this season has sold out, with record crowds recorded in Australia (484,000), Canada (360,000), Austria (320,000), Silverstone (564,000), Belgium (400,000) and Hungary (310,000).
Historical context to the rules row
Verstappen's frustration is not new. During winter testing he memorably branded the current regulations "Formula E on steroids", establishing himself as the most outspoken driver critic of the 2026 concept, according to ESPN.
Domenicali had already tried to calm the growing unease back in February, urging patience and insisting F1 would step in if the on-track product fell short of expectations, as detailed by the Guardian. At that point, he said F1 had already spoken with all 22 drivers in Bahrain about the new rules and remained open to further changes.
Separately, Yahoo Sports reported that the emphasis of the 2026 rules on a 50-50 split between combustion and electric power has drawn particular criticism over heavy energy management and cars that feel underpowered at times. Meanwhile, Grand Prix.com reported Domenicali arguing that complaints from purists and teams further down the grid were overstated, given the rules had been known for years and agreed jointly by the FIA and the manufacturers. Autosport framed his position as an attempt to keep the debate constructive rather than to shut drivers down entirely.
Domenicali pointed to a striking conversation he had with Star Wars creator George Lucas as evidence of how the sport's newer audience actually experiences the racing.
"I had an incredibly interesting discussion with George Lucas on Saturday. He was in Hungary, and he was giving me an incredible view on how the new fans are watching Formula 1."
"He gave us an incredible clearance to see how we can really simplify things because the new fans are not understanding the truth, what is behind the scenes."
"They are fascinated by the fact that there is a lot of action. There is definitely the need for those who are so focused on that to have the right information."
"But, for the vast majority of the people, trust me, they just want to see what is happening on the track, not interested in the angle of throttle or the percentage of brake pressure on how you can take and overtake a driver."
"For example, the incredible overtake of Max on Lewis at Turn 1 in Hungary, that was a piece of art, if I may say, that these people just want to see and just connect to the quality of the drivers."
Amid all the debate over rules and futures, Verstappen has also found time to praise a rival on track, recently describing Kimi Antonelli as rock solid during the 19-year-old's title charge this season.
What happens next
The FIA and the teams are expected to keep reviewing the 2026 regulations as the season progresses, with further adjustments possible if the quality of racing does not improve, according to the Guardian. Grand Prix.com reports that discussions about further tweaks to the 2026 rules are ongoing beyond the opening races, with more changes potentially arriving next year.
The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, with every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime.
