After back-to-back races where F1 had to deal with cars that show a blue screen of death more often than your average 15-year-old PC and, adding insult to injury, by still selling battery depletion as heroic overtakes, we can only conclude that every race weekend in 2026 is another nail in the coffin of what used to be the pinnacle of motorsport.

Judging by F1 chief Stefano Domenicali's recent media appearances, he must have studied crisis communications under Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraq's Information Minister under Saddam Hussein during the 2003 US-led invasion. Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf's (also known as "Baghdad Bob") legacy is nowadays relegated to a meme, but the man was legendary for claiming everything was fine in Baghdad while standing in front of bombed-out ruins with US tanks rolling into the city. The denial of reality by Stefano Domenicali is on par with those legendary TV interviews and is as staggering as it is entertaining.

F1 is not bombed-out yet, but the brand is suffering serious damage from the impact the 2026 technical regulations have on the image of the sport.

Ask F1 fans to name three core elements that make up the sport, and you'll get answers that include words like: speed, Ferrari, fast, danger and Senna. The more observant amongst you might have noticed that words that are missing here are: battery, clipping, lift and coast, CO2, green, impact and sustainable. That is because the fanbase of F1 does not care for any of those. And where the Netflixification of the sport has undeniably led to more viewers who might have an interest in the celebrities and Drive to Survive-stirred-up drama, the 2025 Global F1 Fan Survey data by Motorsport Network shows clearly that speed and thrill are (and always will be) the core of F1 racing.

If what your core audience wants from the sport is so clear, how on earth did F1 end up with engines that are half electric, drivers that can't go full speed on the straights and cars passing each other because the energy from the battery runs out? The answer is as simple as it is boring: a total and complete failure in leadership. The automotive industry, from sports to the manufacturers, has been overrun by bureaucrats and wannabe politicians. Their decisions or lack thereof have resulted in a pile of wreckage, among which we can identify the remains of Jaguar, Stellantis, the entire German car industry—and F1 is about to find out how quickly a series can crumble under the weight of overblown corporate ego.

It is time to pump the brakes and take evasive action.