📍 2026 regulation reset already reshaping Formula One power politics
◼︎ Mercedes quietly scales back discussions on engine supply leverage.
◼︎ Battery deployment complexity is emerging as an early competitive separator.
◼︎ The driver market is moving early amid regulation uncertainty.
◼︎ Engine manufacturers exert growing political influence.
◼︎ Red Bull Powertrains’ recruitment surge raises questions about maturity.
◼︎ Audi is quietly reordering supplier hierarchies.
◼︎ Honda’s return is framed internally as unfinished business.
◼︎ Active aerodynamics is dividing teams behind closed doors.
◼︎ Simulation accuracy tipped to decide early 2026 pecking order.
◼︎ Drivers’ increasing focus on energy management intelligence.
◼︎ Smaller teams fear a squeeze from cautious engine suppliers.
◼︎ Mercedes’ confidence exceeds public messaging.
◼︎ Formula One Management expects a steep learning curve.
◼︎ Budget cap focus shifting toward software spend.
◼︎ Team principals describe 2026 as the intelligence era.
◼︎ Ferrari’s cultural evolution remains incomplete.
◼︎ Williams sees regulation reset as an opportunity.
◼︎ Cadillac’s entry is taken seriously across the paddock.
◼︎ 2026 is expected to expose organisational weakness quickly.
Why it matters:
📍 ‘In 2026, overtaking won’t be about bravery alone — it’ll be about battery percentages.’
