Formula 1's 2026 season is barely past its summer break, and the sport's boss is already firefighting on two fronts: drivers publicly criticising the new power units, and a calendar scrambling to hold together its final rounds.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told the BBC he has asked drivers to be "constructive" in their public comments after outspoken remarks from Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and others about the 2026 engines — a new formula that splits power evenly between internal combustion and electricity (BBC Sport). Domenicali's response to the criticism was upbeat: "There is a lot of action on the track. People are loving it."

The drivers' gripe centres on how the cars manage electrical energy. The 2026 engines run a nominal 50-50 split between combustion and electric power, which means the battery has to be constantly recharged during laps. Fernando Alonso put it bluntly, saying fast corners have become "charging stations" because drivers are lifting off the throttle mid-corner to harvest energy rather than attacking the apex (BBC Sport). For a sport built on the romance of flat-out commitment through sweeping bends, that is a pointed accusation.

Behind the engine row, a separate power-unit debate is brewing. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing for a return to naturally aspirated V8 engines — the loud, simpler, fuel-thirsty predecessors of today's hybrid units — for the 2030 or 2031 regulations (BBC Sport). Domenicali said F1 is on track to have an outline plan for the next engine rules by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the back end of the 2026 calendar is anything but settled. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were dropped from their April slots back in March (Formula1.com), and attention has shifted to whether the season's final two races — Qatar and Abu Dhabi, deliberately scheduled close together as part of F1's calendar rationalisation — will go ahead at all.

If they don't, two back-up plans have surfaced. AP News reports the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21 could become the season finale (AP News). The Race reports that Imola — the Italian circuit and Domenicali's home town — has emerged as a second contingency option (The Race). Domenicali previously described a calendar decision as "unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation" (Formula1.com).

For fans, the engine criticism matters because it speaks to whether the racing in 2026 feels like racing. When a two-time champion calls corners "charging stations," that cuts to the heart of what people tune in to watch. Whether Domenicali's confidence — or the drivers' frustration — wins out will shape how the next era of F1 is remembered.