In the midst of the crisis surrounding the 2026 rules, Helmut Marko breaks his silence and directly criticizes a regulation he deems ill-suited to the current reality of F1.
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As Formula 1 goes through a period of turbulence at the start of the 2026 season, Helmut Marko takes a stand.
Red Bull’s long-time advisor is calling for an urgent correction of regulations he considers deeply flawed, in a context where the very philosophy of the discipline is being questioned.
For Marko, the foundations of the 2026 regulations are based on a vision of the future that is now obsolete.
“Some points were missed during the drafting of the rules, but we must not forget that they were adopted at a time when it was thought that electric cars were the only solution” he explains.
Since then, the context has evolved, notably with the strong return of internal combustion engines thanks to sustainable fuels.
“The situation has changed significantly – combustion engines have made a comeback thanks to new CO2-free fuels, which makes them environmentally friendly” he adds.
An evolution that highlights a gap between F1’s initial ambitions and the current reality of motorsport.
An electric/thermal balance that doesn’t work
At the heart of the problem, Marko points to the famous 50/50 balance between electric power and the internal combustion engine. While attractive on paper, he says it is proving totally ineffective on track.
“In theory, it seems ideal to have a 50-50 split between electric and thermal. But in practice, it doesn’t work because the battery has to be recharged and there aren’t enough charging zones on the circuits” he emphasizes.
Result: drivers are forced to lift off at unexpected moments, creating dangerous speed differentials.
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“The speed difference could reach 50 km/h. It felt like some cars were at a standstill” he warns.
A situation that poses not only a problem for the show, but also for safety.
A philosophy in contradiction with F1’s DNA
Beyond the technical aspects, Marko is worried about a deeper drift: that of Formula 1’s very identity.
“I think Lewis Hamilton is right when he says that whoever manages energy best will have an advantage. But this approach is very far from Formula 1” he asserts.
For him, the discipline must remain a pure competition between drivers and machines, and not an exercise in software optimization.
“In Formula 1, it shouldn’t depend on the engineers who have best optimized the software” he continues.
He concludes by directly criticizing the nature of current overtaking.
“Overtaking shouldn’t depend on a charged battery versus an empty battery. These aren’t real overtakes, they’re just drive-bys” he deplores.
Rosberg calls for patience despite the criticism
In the face of these virulent criticisms, some voices are calling for perspective. Nico Rosberg is taking a more measured stance.
“I understand that it might seem strange to spectators. You expect to see the drivers at full throttle at those moments” he recognizes.
But the former world champion prefers to judge on the evidence.
“Personally, I remain quite relaxed as long as we see good battles on track. That’s what really matters” he concludes.
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