The regulatory era that has just ended (2022-2025) began with a clear slogan: more spectacle and a leveling of performance across the grid. The FIA only partially delivered on these promises. While qualifying sessions offered incredible excitement, with cars performing very closely to each other, the races themselves often fell short of expectations in terms of thrill and unpredictability.
Hulkenberg: “It all became a kind of copy and paste”
Some figures in the paddock believe that the new regulatory era comes just as the true effects of the 2022 rules would have begun to show. However, there are drivers like Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, who will race under Audi in 2026, welcoming the changes with enthusiasm.
“Even though we were only in the fourth year of this regulatory era, it feels like much longer,” the German driver said in a recent interview with Motorsport-Magazine.com. “Procedures and processes have become highly automated, and everything turned into a kind of copy and paste. Personally, I’m happy to know that things will change a bit next year. In the last races, we knew that if we managed the tires a certain way on the out-lap, then we could expect a specific behavior for the next 20 laps. In 2026, everything will be new, even the tires, so we will all start from scratch.”
Hulkenberg sees the coming season as particularly exciting for the drivers: “It will be a year full of experiments and many tests, even during the races. We’ll need to try, give and receive feedback, and learn for next time. This will allow us to improve step by step.”
Generational challenge
Active aerodynamics, a new power unit, and updated power management and delivery systems will be entirely new for the whole paddock. In the same interview, Hulkenberg (38 years old, born August 19, 1987) shared his personal view on which drivers might adapt better to the new regulations: “I don’t think there will be anything so complex that it favors one generation over another. After all, we just have to drive. No one will reinvent the wheel.”
Hulkenberg finally achieved his first career podium at the 2025 British Grand Prix with Sauber, the team he will continue to race for in 2026 under the Audi name, as the manufacturer enters Formula 1 as an engine supplier. From his words, it’s clear that the German does not feel inferior to the younger generation of F1 drivers, who are used to spending time in simulators and constantly experimenting with new techniques.
Both Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso, although older than many of their competitors, have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and thus bring vast racing experience to the table. They could be real tough challengers if their 2026 teams, Audi and Aston Martin respectively, provide them with a package comparable to their rivals.
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