FIA president reacts as changes confirmed to F1 2026 cars

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has shared his reaction to the news of the 2026 car changes.

A crunch meeting took place on Monday, April 20 in which the governing body, F1 and its teams discussed its concerns after the opening three rounds of the campaign. 

The sport has confirmed modifications to qualifying, the race, race starts and wet weather running.

The changes were welcomed by the FIA president, who hailed all those involved for the constructive talks.

“I would like to praise everyone across the Formula 1 ecosystem - the FIA staff, teams, drivers and the Power Unit Manufacturers - for the constructive and collaborative work carried out in a very short space of time,” he said.

“While we have faced an unexpected gap in the calendar due to circumstances beyond the sport, all parties have remained fully committed to acting in the best interests of Formula 1.”

Several F1 drivers voiced their disapproval with the cars across the opening rounds of the campaign.

But having relayed their feedback to the governing body, Ben Sulayem issued praise to the competitors for their valued input.

“More than ever, the drivers have been at the heart of these discussions, and I would like to thank them for their valuable input throughout this process,” he said.

“Safety and sporting fairness remain the FIA’s highest priorities. 

“These changes have been introduced to address the issues identified in the opening events and to ensure the continued integrity and quality of the competition.

“We now look forward to the rest of what promises to be an exciting 2026 season.”