Former F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone and Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore may have mellowed with age – at least on paper – but when it comes to the sport’s 2026 regulations, the old lions are roaring in perfect harmony.
And they don’t like what they see.
At 95, Ecclestone has seen it all – turbo wars, political mutinies, manufacturer invasions. But even he is predicting a messy reset this year following F1’s overhaul.
"There will be chaos and confusion at the start of the season - everyone will have to learn Formula 1 all over again," he told RTL.
The sweeping 2026 regulations shift the spotlight heavily onto energy deployment and electrical systems – a transformation that has already left drivers grumbling about complexity and artificial race management.
Ecclestone fears the pendulum has swung too far.
"The new rules certainly don’t favour Max Verstappen and his driving style. It’s not so much about the racing,” he added.
“The DNA of the sport is that it’s a drivers’ world championship and not an engineers’ championship. Formula 1 is now competing more with Formula E.
“Maybe the fans like that, but I don’t think so. The danger is that we’ll lose the fans. I sincerely hope I’m wrong.”
That comparison – to Formula E – lands like a slap in the face for traditionalists. Formula 1 has always sold itself as the gladiatorial pinnacle of combustion fury. Now, Ecclestone fears it risks morphing into a battery management seminar on wheels.
Still, the wily Brit sees opportunity amid the upheaval.
"Mercedes has the advantage," he said. "Russell has talent, but he needs to demonstrate his killer instinct throughout the season to become champion.
"Mercedes-powered teams have a good chance this year, but I hope Ferrari will have a say in the matter too. Formula 1 will benefit if Ferrari wins the championship.
"I see Lewis not giving up, not wanting to stop before achieving his goal. Maybe this year will be a success. That would be a great story."
Bernie also threw his weight behind Audi, while highlighting the talent of Gabriel Bortoleto.
"I believe Audi has all the ingredients for a successful first year in Formula 1," he said. "The mid-field teams are very close in terms of car speed, and Audi has a chance in this battle.
"I’m confident Gabriel Bortoleto will be a serious threat to Nico Hulkenberg. The young Brazilian is very fast and capable of becoming a champion one day."
For Ecclestone, the ingredients for drama are there – but only if engineering wizardry doesn’t strangle the racing spectacle.
If Ecclestone was critical, Briatore went straight for the jugular.
"The complex energy management of the new generation of cars puts Formula 1 at risk of a sharp decline," he told Motorsport Japan.
"It’s simply a waste of engineering effort, and the fans won’t understand it. At the very least, they should explain what’s going on. For the drivers, it’s become a completely different game."
The Italian, never known for diplomatic restraint, drew a cutting parallel.
"Do you remember Formula E? Di Grassi won when he was around 50 years old. Formula 1 drivers tried to drive those cars, but it was impossible. Why? Because driving those cars is more like an engineering experiment.
"And that’s precisely where we’re headed now. Normally, to overtake you have to step on the gas. Now you have to lift off the gas."
In other words: lift-and-coast chess instead of flat-out warfare.
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Yet Briatore is no doomsayer when it comes to the business side. He openly marvels at Formula 1’s commercial renaissance.
"The commercial progress is astonishing," he said. "Ten years ago, we had to make so many sales calls to companies that our fingers ached. Now they’re the ones contacting us.
"It’s a completely different game. But we must protect the race itself and the sound of the engine. That’s Formula 1."
If Formula 1’s 2026 revolution turns drivers into energy accountants and overtakes into software exercises, the sport’s most seasoned operators fear the roar could fade – replaced by something colder, quieter, and far more clinical.
And for two men who built their empires on noise, nerve, and naked speed, that’s a future worth fighting against.
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