Formula 1 2026 Regulations: How Netflix and new engines are pulling OEMs back to F1

Why is F1 gaining popularity? The recent growth in Formula One’s popularity reflects both historical commercialization and evolving media strategies. Under the management of British motor racing executive Bernie Ecclestone, the sport was successfully sold to television, but digital and social media were largely underutilized as promotional tools. 

This changed in 2017 when Liberty Media acquired the sport’s commercial rights. Liberty, a US-based sports media company, sought to grow the sport’s popularity in the US by implementing strategies aimed at expanding Formula One’s reach. It employed modern media and PR strategies and allowed the use of F1’s extensive archive by a new army of social media content creators, allowing them to engage new audiences and fuel F1 social media growth. 

One of Liberty’s most successful initiatives has been Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” documentary series, which highlights the sports personalities, driver and team dynamics and politics of F1. The series has expanded Formula 1 fan demographics, attracting a new and younger generation of fans to the sport—many of whom are young women—and contributing to an audience that is increasingly relevant to OEMs considering entry or reentry under the F1 2026 regulations. 

This major overhaul of the Formula 1 2026 regulations has created another major pull for OEMs entering F1. Formula One has always been partially about the tension between creating high-tech cars and maintaining connection to road car tech, a process that has ebbed and flowed along with manufacturer participation throughout the decades. This balance is paramount in the new F1 regulations. In an attempt to boost road relevancy, F1 switched from high-revving naturally aspirated 2.4 liter V8s to hybrid 1.6 liter turbocharged units in 2014. 

While there have been some fan complaints about their comparative lack of noise, for the most part these  regulations have been seen as successful in maintaining OEM interest by balancing high technology content and road relevancy. 

Previously hybrid engines used an 85:15 split between the power contribution offered by the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the electrical element. 

Under new regulations for 2026, the new generation of engines will change that split to 50:50, with sustainable fuel for F1 being used and fuel flow capped at 50kg/h (from 100kg/h), thus halving the vehicle’s fuel consumption. This revised configuration presents a clear technological challenge for OEMs while improving efficiency and increasing the share of electrification. 

The new F1 2026 engine regulations align with manufacturers’ broader technology strategies and evolving regulatory frameworks in global car markets.