Younger drivers should benefit from F1 regulation change

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is confident that Formula 1’s more inexperienced drivers will benefit from the 2026 regulation overhaul due to the need to adapt. 

F1 promises to look totally different this year with changes to both the chassis, lighter by 32kg plus less downforce, and engine, more reliant on electric power, after four years of ground effect cars.

There has been vast talk about how drivers will therefore need to adapt their style due to active aerodynamics and energy management playing a bigger role, with some claiming that the 2026 cars go against everything they were taught in karting. 

But the younger drivers, like those who have only been in F1 since last year, may benefit from this overhaul because they’re already used to constantly changing cars and don’t really have one distinct style of racing to fall back on.

Antonelli is one of those, having been fast-tracked to F1 by never contesting more than one season of a junior championship before making his Mercedes grand prix debut at the age of 18.  

“For all the rookies that joined F1 last year, coming into this year with a new car is kind of good, because obviously we’ve been used to drive a different car every year,” said the Italian teen.

“So we’ve been used to try and adapt as quickly as possible to a new car. So of course on that side, it’s good that we have a new car this year, because it’s a reset for everyone. Especially for us, that we’ve been used to every year to a new car, it’s good because we’ve been used to that. Maybe it will help us out to understand the car a bit quicker than others.”

The Mercedes driver therefore thinks it levels the playing field as everybody has to start from scratch, as opposed to last season where he came in at perhaps a disadvantage to others.

“This is a massive rule change and it kind of resets everything because everyone has to relearn the car,” he added. “So on that side, it’s better because obviously last year was last year’s, the last year of the old regulation and most of the drivers, they knew the car very, very well and they’ve been developing that car.

“While this year is definitely completely new, so on the driving side, it’s a big opportunity because whoever understands it the best way and earlier than the others can really make the difference.”

That isn’t to say, however, that the veterans will struggle and automatically get beaten by the youngsters, because being inexperienced still proved costly for Antonelli last season.

Although he impressed on occasions with three podiums and a Miami sprint pole, he also suffered many unforced crashes in practice and sometimes struggled with the pressures of being a highly-rated rookie – his home race at Imola being an example.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

“The other drivers are not stupid and they’re pretty good,” said the 19-year-old. “So I think they will figure it out very quickly as well. 

“Experience still counts. With how you approach the year, every weekend, the experience still helps and because, of course, I’ve done one year in F1 and I’ve learned a lot, but this year, definitely I will have a different approach at times, but I feel I still need to learn quite a bit.

“So on the experience side, there will still be a bit of a difference, but on the driving side, I think we’re all on the same level now as we have the new car. So I think that is going to be a big, big opportunity.”

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– The Autosport.com Team