Nil Holdi: The best drivers will remain the best

      Many are dissatisfied with the 2026 regulations, believing that it diminishes the skill of the drivers, and that the outcome of the competition now depends more on the battery, but McLaren Applied Engineering's technical director Neil Holdie disagrees with this…

      Neil Holdie: "In fact, the best Formula 1 drivers understand perfectly what they need to do. And they will still be faster. Perhaps the situation has changed in the sense that now it’s not just about driving as fast as possible, but also thinking about how to achieve that.

      Take, for example, the race in Spa. There, Oscar really had a slightly different energy usage scheme, which caused him to lose a couple of tenths, but he was still able to stay behind Lando. Thus, the skill of the drivers still noticeably affects both lap times and the course of the race.

      Ultimately, over the course of the season, everything will balance out. Of course, in a single race or qualifying, a particular driver may find themselves at a disadvantage, but I still believe that by the end of the season, the best drivers will occupy the best positions."