# Car Manufacturers, FIA, Liberty Media: ALL to blame for F1's current state | Drivers FORCED changes

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-line-f1-podcast-997858/car-manufacturers-fia-liberty-media-all-to-blame-for-f1-s-current-state-drivers-forced-changes
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-line-f1-podcast-997858/car-manufacturers-fia-liberty-media-all-to-blame-for-f1-s-current-state-drivers-forced-changes.md
Podcast: [Inside Line F1 Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-line-f1-podcast-997858)
Published: 2026-09-17T19:58:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ISP7122837004.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/ISP7122837004.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/inside-line-f1-podcast-997858/episodes/car-manufacturers-fia-liberty-media-all-to-blame-for-f1-s-current-state-drivers-forced-changes
Duration seconds: 923

## Resource

Has F1 2026 Delivered on Its Promise? Soumil and Kunal examine why Formula One’s 2026 season feels underwhelming despite major storylines, including Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, a potential youngest-ever champion, and struggling world champions. They debate whether the problem lies with the technical regulations, battery management, governance structure, or the sport’s changing identity. In this episode: - Why a season packed with headline stories can still feel dry to established F1 fans. - How the 50-50 electric and combustion power-unit split has created battery conservation and “super clipping” problems. - Why drivers can no longer consistently drive flat out, and why that may matter more than the exact electric-to-combustion ratio. - The blame game between drivers, the FIA, manufacturers, team bosses, and Formula One’s commercial rights holders. - How teams gained influence over the regulations through the Concorde Agreement after previous attempts at unilateral rule changes. - Why the FIA can influence the grid’s size but does not have equivalent political power to rewrite the technical formula. - Whether independent teams could run a breakaway championship, and why the Formula One brand remains difficult to replicate outside the FIA umbrella. - The tension between traditional fans focused on racing and engineering and newer fans drawn to fashion, travel, lifestyle, and storytelling. - Proposed incremental fixes, including a 60-40 power split from 2028 and possible budget-cap changes to support new chassis and larger fuel capacity. - Why Soumil and Kunal argue that fans should remain patient while the sport tries to correct the current direction. Timestamps: 00:02 - Why the 2026 season feels dry despite major storylines 00:57 - The missing ingredient: flat-out inte…

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## Transcript

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