Safnauer has his own explanation for the adaptation problems in 2026.

      Otmar Szafnauer has worked in various Formula 1 teams for over two decades, witnessing different periods in the history of the World Championship, during which there have been many changes, including quite radical ones.

      However, he has not seen such large-scale reforms as those that occurred and continue to occur in 2026, when Formula 1 once again transitioned to new generation technology. Moreover, some changes contradict traditional notions of what racing should be like.

      From the perspective of a former leader of teams such as Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin and Alpine F1, this has been the reason for the difficulties many championship participants have faced.

      Otmar Szafnauer: "The regulations are different from anything we have seen before. From the perspective of purists, supporters of classic racing, adapting to such large-scale changes is always difficult because you consider them wrong. But let's see how events will unfold.

      In my opinion, it is precisely this complex of changes made to the regulations, related to the specific use of power units, and the difficulties that teams faced during the adaptation process.

      But McLaren is already catching up to Mercedes, and I think that at the beginning of the season Ferrari was also quite close to the leaders. I'm not saying that Mercedes is already unconditionally dominant, but it seems that this team firmly occupies the leading positions, while McLaren is probably now in second place in terms of speed."