Formula 1 fan survey: Your thoughts on the new regulations, and the sport’s future

# F1 new regulations: Fan survey reveals 67% want overtaking rules scrapped

James Okafor | GlobalBeat

Formula 1 launched an official fan survey Monday asking supporters to rate the 2026 chassis rules and vote on whether the sport should ditch DRS entirely.

The survey, emailed to 2.3 million registered F1 account holders, marks the first time the series has sought mass public input before ratifying technical changes. Results will reach team principals and the FIA World Motor Sport Council before the July deadline for final 2026 specs.

Liberty Media bought the commercial rights in 2017 promising fan engagement but had never consulted viewers on regs. The 2026 package proposes narrower cars, active aero, and 50% power from electric units. Teams fear processional racing if the draft passes unchanged.

Survey questions include: “Should DRS be retired?” (yes/no), “Rank your top 3 priorities for closer racing” (overtaking, tyre degradation, car performance gaps), and “How important is sustainability vs spectacle?” on a 1-10 scale. One section lets respondents upload 60-second video rants. F1 said all answers stay anonymous unless users opt in for follow-up interviews.

Early screenshots posted on Reddit show 67% of 18,000 preliminary responses back killing DRS, the rear-wing flap system introduced in 2011 to aid passing. The figure surged to 84% among respondents who listed their first grand prix before 2000. “DRS feels like a cheat code,” wrote user ForzaFerrari1996. Others called it “the only thing that creates action.”

Stefano Domenicali, F1 chief executive, defended the consultation during a call with reporters. “We govern for the next generation, not just engineers,” he said. The Italian added that silence from spectators “would be taken as consent” for the published regs. FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said the federation will open its own parallel questionnaire next month.

Teams remain split. Mercedes trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin warned that removing DRS without compensating aero tweaks “could freeze the grid.” Red Bull chief technology officer Adrian Newey told BBC Sport he would “happily bin DRS” if floor downforce drops 30%. Alpine and McLaren insiders privately predict most fans will vote to keep the device once they realize processions could return.

Telemetric data complicates the debate. Average on-track passes per race rose from 24 in 2010 to 43 in 2023, but independent analysis by consultancy Dr. Mark Hughes shows 58% of 2023 moves required DRS on a straight. “Fans hate it until it disappears,” Hughes said. The survey asks supporters to watch a side-by-side clip of a 2023 DRS overtake and a 2006 non-DRS pass before choosing.

Environmental questions triggered equally fierce splits. The 2026 power unit targets net-zero carbon fuel and a 50% electric boost, but V8 nostalgics blast the loss of noise. One proposed question—”Would you accept slower lap times for greener racing?”—polarised Discord servers. Alfa Romeo sponsor Orlen already lobbied against further electrification, sources familiar with the matter told GlobalBeat.

Media rights add another layer. ESPN pays an estimated 125 million USD annually for U.S. broadcasts, a fee tied to audience metrics. Liberty worries that gimmick-weary viewers could cancel streaming passes. Survey promoter Research+Data Insights will cross-link responses against account viewing hours to check whether critics actually watch races. Findings land on executives’ desks by June 15.

## Background

Formula 1 introduced the Drag Reduction System in 2011 after overtaking plummeted in 2010. The rule lets a driver open a rear-wing slot when within 1 second of the car ahead at detection points. Critics label it artificial, yet casual fans credit DRS for increased wheel-to-wheel moments witnessed on Netflix’s “Drive to Survive.”

The 2026 regulations aim to cut car width from 200 cm to 190 cm and shrink weight by 40 kg while drawing 350 kW from battery modules. Ground-effect floors will be simplified to cut “dirty air,” a turbulence that stalls following wings. Simulations run by the FIA predict a 3-second lap-time increase at Silverstone unless active aero trimming is approved.

## What’s Next

F1 will close the survey at 23:59 BST on May 20 and publish a summary before the Spanish Grand Prix. The FIA World Motor Sport Council meets July 31 to lock the 2026 chassis statute. Expect team lobbyists to wave fan charts in the paddock throughout the Montreal, Spielberg and Silverstone rounds as horse-trading intensifies.

A vote to remove DRS without compensating aero loss could force emergency tweaks this winter, risking a repeat of 2022 when porpoising wrecked opening rounds. One thing looks certain: the days of engineers writing rules in closed rooms are over.