F1 Update: New Season, New Rules

Kate LaPlaca 

Staff Writer 

With the 2026 F1 season having started on March 8, it came with changes to the teams and the power units. There has been an addition to the grid layout, where now instead of the 10 teams and the 20 drivers on the grid, there are now 11 teams and 22 drivers. Cadillac is the edition to the grid with the team principle of the team being, Graeme Lowdon, and the 2 drivers for the team are veterans of the sport with a combination of 25 years, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, both drivers have experience being on the top step of the podium, as well as being on winning teams. 

There is also the complete change of the power units, the power units of the 2026 F1 season, there is a completely even split between internal combustion units and an electrical unit. The cars and engines will be completely run off sustainable fuels, helping F1 step in their environmental commitments, and fulfill their promise to make the sport greener.  Even with these changes to make the sport be able to continue to the future, there have been comments on the struggles this has been in regards to the engineering side and the struggles to adapt. 

There have also been revisions in regards to the aerodynamics, and they are just as dramatic as the engines.  This has been said to help improve the racing quality of the sport, as well as to help reduce the dirty air, and in theory, it will allow the cars to follow closer. But this has been shown in early testing there has been struggles of many teams and issues with the energy due to the hybrid systems and their developments. 

The history of this sport is strong, and if this is any guide to the reset of the regulations to the stability, it will help prolong the sport, and make it successful.  In the case for the fans, the changes that are being added, is something that will make the sport the most undetectable season there has been in all of the fans recent memories.