- Jannik Sinner shares his positive outlook on Formula 1’s controversial new regs.
- Tennis star Sinner defends the 2026 rules despite growing “Mario Kart” comparison.
- Sinner praises increased overtaking while celebrating Antonelli’s maiden GP win.
Jannik Sinner, a die-hard Formula 1 fan, recently shared his outlook on the new regulations of the sport, which have garnered mixed reactions from the paddock.
In this new era of F1, the cars have gone through massive changes, including becoming lighter and more agile, having a 50/50 hybrid power split, replacing DRS with an active aero system, and using 100% sustainable fuels.
While some teams are doing well under the new rules, some are visibly struggling, with a few drivers also complaining about the modern-day F1 not feeling like real racing. So, whose side is Sinner on? Let’s find out.
Sinner views F1’s new regs positively
In a conversation with Sky Sports, the Tennis star revealed that under the new regulations, he’s glad that there are more overtakes. However, if he views the regs differently, he knows that some cars are faster, and others are slower.
While he’s aware that the speed and pace of different teams have always varied in the sport, he acknowledges that this time the gap is bigger than usual.
Giving an example of the two dominating teams in F1 at present, he explained, “Talking from a Ferrari perspective, we are actually close. We are second and having an Italian driver together with George [Russell], which I’m very close to in the Mercedes, it’s good for me to watch.”
He recently paid tribute to Kimi Antonelli upon his maiden win in China after securing his Indian Wells title. While he knows that changes could be frustrating, he believes that these new regs are meant to shape the sport positively.
He confidently said, “Maybe in the beginning it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m very sure it’s going to be great in the future.”
Real Racing or Mario Kart – Drivers’ contrasting reactions
With the 2026 season having begun in Australia, the first grand prix saw an intense overtake battle between George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
At one point, Leclerc even went on to say on his radio that the on-track showdown felt like a mushroom in Mario Kart. Basically, he was referring to the overtake and boost buttons, which share similarities to the mushroom in the video game, which gives the kart a massive boost of energy to speed up.
This reference has since been brought up by many drivers, who have the same feeling about the new regs. While some are enjoying the newly introduced features, others are simply not having fun and feel the new regs are stripping the essence of racing.
Some drivers have also raised concerns about the safety. However, the FIA appears dedicated to taking into consideration the potential issues from teams and drivers and might make changes to improve the sport as the season moves forward.
