Editor's Desk: We delve into recent Stefano Domenicali quotes

Now this is just a feeling I got when I read what Domenicali said in an interview with Autosport/Motorsport, where he talked about the 2026 Formula 1 regulations and the future of the sport's power units or engines while also commenting on Max Verstappen's current negative stance and the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Domenicali insisted that fans are enjoying the sport and that the racing was great with some tweaks required, which are currently under discussion with the governing FIA, teams, drivers, and stakeholders in general.

This kind of talk could be infuriating for the hardcore F1 fan who is seeing his favorite sport being ruined with yo-yo racing in 2026 while qualifying became an energy management exercise with proposed changes offering no guarantees of fixing the situation.

But then, Domenicali says something about the future of power units being different, with more focus on the Internal Combustion Engine while having sustainable fuels as the means to keep the sport environmentally friendly.

While it would be too premature to celebrate, and with the FIA having to get involved in this, this is music to our ears, the die-hard fans, as we know that the president of the sport's governing body has expressed his approval of naturally aspirated V10s running on sustainable fuels.

If you read the article penned by GrandPrix247's Michelle Lupini, you can see that Domenicali mentioned that such an engine would appeal to the F1 purists, a group Formula 1 and their boss have recently been looking down on in favor of the Drive to Survive pack.

And here, it hit me... Is Domenicali fighting for his job? Does he realize the new regulations are a total mess that went down on his watch? Does the pure racer he once was during his Ferrari days admit Formula 1 took a wrong turn in 2026?

The talk about the future engines proves that, but then the continuous blabber about how good the new regulations are would just be a way of managing the crisis he finds himself in with his paymasters at Liberty Media.

Formula 1's official website reported Domenicali's interview with Autosport, but until the writing of this article, they have only used the part about how great the sport and the racing are... No mention of potential changes in future engines.

I don't want to be overthinking here, but I thought I would share this idea or hunch if you want.

There is no doubting Formula 1's predicament right now. Going all out to please the likes of Audi to join and then ending up with a woeful formula and now trying to find a way to rectify the situation while sustaining the least damage possible—in other words, don't get fired on the way...

The racing may be horrendous, but the 2026 Formula 1 season may end up being the sport's most interesting one in years...