Are the rule changes in F1 just for racing or are they for entertainment?

The past 10 years in Formula 1 has arguably had the most rule changing the sport has ever seen, therefore creating the most exciting 10 years of racing to date.  With each rule change, transparency across the media increases, creating a more engaging insight into the world of Formula 1 for the fans.  The changes aren’t only physical changes to the car, sometimes the bigger changes are the digital ones, such as the team radio messages and live data shown during the race that give the audience a look and listen behind the scenes.  While the physical changes are often with the intention of creating a safer car for the driver and the environment, these changes are almost always to create a more entertaining race for the viewers.  Let’s delve into some of these crucial changes:

In 2011, DRS (Drag reduction System) was introduced to the cars, giving a car within 1 second of the car in front an opportunity to temporarily open a flap at the back of their car to reduce wind resistance, therefore giving them an advantage and creating an overtake opportunity.  This design change created a much more dynamic race which translated well into media and created a large increase in watching F1 on the TV, broadening the audience globally (Williams F1, 2024).  Similarly in 2022, aerodynamics regulations got tighter, reducing the amount of time teams higher in the championship could test their cars in the wind tunnels.  The aim of this was to bring the pack closer together and giving teams at the bottom of the championships a better opportunity to race.  This created more wheel-to-wheel action and allowed cars to follow much more closely together, therefore plenty more opportunity for broadcasters to highlight big action moments of the race, which are not only broadcasted on TV, but across social media platforms too.  Both above rule changes resulted in an increase of online audience and live viewers for each race – evidence that effective changes benefit the race, the views and eventually the profit!

Another method for engaging new customers using social media, is advertising the environmental changes being made to the sport.  One example is the change in materials used for the tyres on the cars.  Since each car can use up to 13 sets of tyres per weekend there was a huge amount of wastage, so now each Pirelli tyre is made from recycled rubber, complying with strict FSC environmental criteria.  This information can be heard from broadcasters every weekend, reminding eco-conscious fans on how environmentally friendly the sport is becoming.  Alongside this, teams are transparent and vocal about the amount of travelling they do and how their emission levels have dropped by 25% since 2018! (F1, 2025) You’ll notice this information is subtly integrated into online content to remind environmental viewers how serious the organisation takes the issue. 

You also may have noticed a huge influx of radio messages played during the race, as well as the option to ride on board with any driver (on Sky Sports).  This along with the live data shown digitally during the live race has improved the transparency of data so us audience members feel even more involved in the behind the scenes of the race and understanding the strategy and driver decisions.  This radio transparency also gives commentators even more story telling opportunities and creates even more dramatic narratives for drivers, with radio messages often creating memes and social media trends.  E.g. “Smooooothhh operatooooorrrr” – Carlos Sainz

Continuing on with driver transparency, Drive To Survive gave fans an insight into the drivers’ personalities which made them much more personable and popular on social media.  Drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris communicate with fans online much more often, growing their fan bases. While Max Verstappen comes across as more of a rebellious driver and creates more rivalries which generates more fan engagement and interest across social media.

Now let’s catch you up to this season.  The 2026 season saw some of the biggest physical car changes in Formula 1 as well as some big team, rule and strategy changes.  To name a few… The cars are smaller and lighter making them much more agile which creates better racing opportunities, especially on tracks like Monaco (we hope!) which is infamous for the lack of overtaking over the past few seasons.  The engines are now also half electric, targeting the eco conscious fans again whilst also creating a more sustainable sport, resulting in much better press.  Finally, these new cars come with new buttons and strategy opportunities for the drivers.  There are boost buttons that can be used to defend or overtake, providing the car has enough charge in the battery, putting responsibility in the drivers hands to reserve that energy and decide when is best to use it (Formula 1, 2026). 2026 really is the best year to get into Formula 1 and with all these new, huge changes to market and explain, media online and on TV will be on top form too.  

Catch up on your F1 knowledge with some F1 blogs here…

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References

F1, 2025, https://corp.formula1.com/formula-1-on-track-to-be-net-zero-carbon-by-2030-with-26-reduction-in-carbon-footprint/#:~:text=Emissions%20from%20Factories%20and%20Facilities,their%20operations%20to%20lower%20emissions. [Accessed March 2026]

Formula1.com, 2026, https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-f1-rules-for-2026.48bv0VTxhIlhrQXmxercXk [Accessed March 2026]

Williams F1, 2024, https://www.williamsf1.com/articles/76611d38-cda9-4d1f-820c-13685fc515e6/what-is-drs-and-how-does-it-work [Accessed March 2026]

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