FIA executive Nikolas Tombazis responds to Alexander Albon‘s concerns about the 2026 regulations. According to the British-Thai driver, ‘smart drivers’ could potentially exploit the new system, but Tombazis argues that this is already possible under the current regulations. ‘Smart drivers always have the upper hand,’ explains the FIA executive.
Formula 1 is on the brink of a significant change within the premier class. In 2026, the FIA will introduce new technical guidelines, including a revised hybrid powertrain and a review of aerodynamics. Many drivers have so far expressed their dislike for the new cars. For instance, Carlos Sainz concluded after a simulator test that the car ‘feels strange’ in some areas, while Alexander Albon fears that drivers could exploit the new system. “The smart drivers who understand and know how to exploit the system will deliver the best performances,” the British-Thai driver told Motorsport Week.
According to Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s director of single-seaters, things won’t move so fast in 2026. “Smart drivers always have the upper hand. The difference in performance we see in F1 today is partly due to that,” explains the FIA executive. “And it’s not just now, the mental bandwidth of drivers has been a factor for twenty years. That was also the case in the early years of my career, when I worked with Schumacher, for example.”
‘A Top Driver Should Be Able To’
Tombazis worked as an engineer with the seven-time world champion at Benetton and Ferrari. “I mean, he was obviously hugely talented, but what set him apart was that he could think about all those other things during a race,” continues the FIA executive. “You know that there are some current drivers who can also think about other things, while others need all their brain capacity to drive the car.”
The challenge may be even greater in 2026, but Tombazis believes the drivers can handle it. “These drivers are the best drivers in the world and they have a fairly high intellectual capacity. They can handle certain problems. We believe that this is part of what a top driver should be able to do.”
