The new Formula 1 regulations generated criticism even years before they were finally implemented ahead of the 2026 season, at which point the harbingers of doom were largely blown off. But once 2026 rolled around, the slowing on the straights and the artificial overtaking, among other elements far from befitting of the so-called "pinnacle of motorsport", became focal points for justified fan (and driver) outrage.
There have definitely been some improvements since March, and it wouldn't be nearly as bad if Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali didn't spend his every waking hour gaslighting the fanbase by talking about how great things have been and how fans are loving every second of it.
He even sunk as low as insulting fans for being upset about "clipping", infamously stating that "there will also be many who think of a clip as something to put in your hair."
But even with the improvements, the idea that things are all well and good is simply inaccurate.
And perhaps the best way to illustrate that is the fact that the only winners so far this year have come from the front row.
F1 set a new record that fans didn't want to see
All 17 races this year, including the five sprint races, have been won from the front row; the streak is 18 dating back to the 2025 season finale, which is an all-time F1 record.
The previous record for consecutive Formula 1 races won from the front row was 16, including seven in a row at the end of the 2014 season and nine and row to start the 2015 season. All 16 of those races were Grands Prix.
Quite frankly, the fact that the current streak is only one more than the number of races contested in 2026 goes to show that it was not uncommon for races to be won by a non-front row starter during the previous era. From 2022 to 2025, 22 Grands Prix were won from third or lower on the grid. So even if you only include this year's races, that 17 in a row would still be an all-time record.
There have always been jokes about F1 races being decided in the first turn, simply because overtaking has generally been a challenge in Formula 1, compared to other racing series, and there has always been such a major disparity between certain tiers of teams. It's what critics of the series have long pointed to when discussing why it's "boring" compared to leagues like NASCAR or IndyCar.
But this year, you could make a case that the races are basically decided on Saturdays. Only four of the 17 races this year have even been won from second place.
The one positive here is that there has been parity at the front, at least after the first few months of the season were dominated by Mercedes.
Prior to Lando Norris' Dutch Grand Prix victory (from pole, of course), there had been five different winners in the five most recent Grands Prix, after there were only four total winners a year ago. And given Max Verstappen's growing collection of podium finishes in a Red Bull that was a tractor to start the year, six in six would not have been inconceivable.
But we also saw five winners in five races toward the end of the 2024 season at one point as well, so it's not like that kind of streak didn't exist before. And naturally, only three of those winners came from the front row.
By the way, I still find it hilarious that F1 is supposedly breaking viewership records with their new greed-driven AppleTV deal, yet we never, ever actually see true viewership numbers like we did before the switch to the paid subscription service that many F1 fans refuse to pay for.
It's not hard to see why. At this stage, you can get more out of a highlight reel or a brief recap than watching a two-hour parade, where a significant portion of the action comes from a manipulative regulation set.
I'm glad one outlet is accurately reporting this huge plunge, by the way, rather than straight-up lying about it. Because one thing is clear: the serious momentum that had been built up over the past few years is seriously fading, and it stands to reason.
And it goes far beyond the idea that fans are simply complaining for the sake of complaining.
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