In the super -fast world of Formula 1, where decisions in a fraction of a second can crown the king or crowns, the newest storm that brews in the paddock feels like a plot turn from a raceth thriller. Only a few days ago, on September 20, 2025, the FIA ​​dropped a bomb: the Drag Reduction System (DRS), the familiar catch-up equalizer that was introduced in 2011, is officially deleted for the 2026 season. For which instead? A streamlined new active aerodynamics with an “X mode” for straight pieces with low air resistance and a “Z-mode” for grip in turns, combined with a Manual Override Mode (MOM) that distributes electrical energy boosters to pursuers who are located within a second of the leader. It is intended to announce more agile cars – 30 kg lighter, 200 mm shorter and driving on 100% sustainable fuels – some more exciting races and greener sensations promises. But not everyone is jumping with enthusiasm.

Meet the Trio Titans: Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. These three champions, who have already won twelve world titles together, did not hold back with their tirades after the announcement. Verstappen, the reigning Red Bull-Maestro with four consecutive titles to his name, fired the first shot during a heated media opposition in the paddock of the Singapore Grand Prix. “This is just the FIA ​​who plays for God again,” he snarled, his Dutch accent by frustration. “DRS is not perfect, but it made it possible to catch up on circuits such as Monza or Spa. Now we exchange it for an energy immigrant? Teams like us, who control the current game, are being restored to zero. It punishes innovation, does not reward it.” His words reflected the raw side that characterizes his dominance, a reminder of how the 27-year-old made Formula 1 until his personal chessboard.

In order not to be surpassed, Alonso, the ever-green Aston Martin warrior at the age of 44, canalized his characteristic cynicism from the team’s garage. The double champion, which has experienced more regulatory changes than most, leaned in the microphone with an ironic smile who did not reach his eyes. “Ah, yes, another” revolution “of the FIA,” he said slowly, his voice dripping with sarcasm that he had cut in sport in twenty years. “They delete Drs because it is” too artificial, but they introduce guy? That is just Drs in a chic suit – only it is now linked to the battery life, which favors the large teams with better cooling. I raced with camels that better dealt with rule changes. It is as if they want tension. ” Alonso’s Venijn was not only personal; It was a reference to his own history of fighting with regulators, from the Spygate-Saga from 2007 to recent complaints about Aston’s developmental problems.

Then Hamilton, the seven-time icon that was now in his second Ferrari period, came and expressed his criticism with the polished anger of a statesman. Fresh from a stage in Monza, which breathed new life into his title chances, the Brit did not hold back in an interview with Sky Sports. “This decision smells of short -sightedness,” said Hamilton, while his dreadlocks wobbled as he emphatically gestured. “Drs has made the underdogs tied – do you remember my comeback in Brazil ’21? Without drs we are back in nightmares of dirty air, where the leader slides away. And sustainable fuels? Great on paper, but without real investments in smaller teams it is Greenwashing. to make.” His words had extra weight, intersected with the arguments that have characterized his inheritance outside the track, from Black Lives Matter to insisting on mental health in the busy Formula 1 bubble.

The negative reactions were fast and huge and spread very quickly through social media as a gravel bin. Hashtags such as #bringbackdrs and #fiafail were trending worldwide, with fans analyzing the shiny press release from the FIA ​​as forensic experts. Experts joined him: former driver Mark Webber called it “a step back disguised as progress”, while Toto Wolff, the smart strategist of Mercedes, hinted on a profession. Even neutral voices, such as the analysis of The Race, pointed to the irony: DRS has been created to solve catch -up problems after 2010, and now the abolition is in danger of reviving them again, especially with the smaller wheels and reduced Downforce of 2026, which possibly strengthens turbulence in the Zog.

But here the plot thicken itself to an outright farce: the counter -reaction of the FIA, unveiled in a concise midnight bulletin on September 23, was not a defense – it was a dagger. The “hidden punishment” was described by a furious paddock as the “hidden punishment”, and it all three critics with a collective sanction that is just as subtle as a safety car in the first round. Apparently a “behavioral assessment” under Article 2.5.1 of the international sports code, it requires every driver to complete 10 hours of “work in the public interest” within 60 days-think of mandatory media training sessions of the FIA, fan outstreach programs and, whisper, a scripted apologies video about sustainability. No grid drops or fines, please note, but the Angel is psychological: it is a concealed ban on speaking, which forces these noisy legends to adhere to the rules, otherwise they risk points on their super licencies. Insiders call it “hidden” because it bypassed the usual hearings of stewards and came in through a back door through an “administrative directive” that rimpted to retribution.

The anger flared up like a turbo that does not function properly. Verstappen, the ever -rebellious, stormed from a team briefing and muttered against reporters about “clown board”. Alonso, in his classic form, joked on X (formerly Twitter): “First they take my drs, now my freedom of expression? And then they suspend my mustache.” Hamilton, who channeled his activist enthusiasm, collected support from the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association by tweeting a Thread that was viewed 2 million times within a few hours: “Drivers who are concerned about the future of the sport is silent? This is not racing, this is control. #Speakupf1.” The United Front of the Trio is a rare gold in the divided family of the F1, resulting in a technical adjustment to an outright management crisis.

While the 2025 season is heading for the final in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen that Norris has a razor -sharp 18 points lead, this Saga emphasizes the eternal tension in Formula 1: innovation versus tradition, freedom versus Fiat. The FIA ​​emphasizes that the punishment is “precedent neutral”, only a push in the direction of “constructive dialogue”, but even they cannot deny the shivers that causes it. Will it mouth the champions? It is unlikely – these are men who had to defy curves with 300 km/h and champion drip. Instead, it stirs up fire and reminds us why Formula 1 thrives on rebellion. In a sport where underdog’s dreams of glory and legends refuse to fade, this “hidden punishment” could sometimes turn out spectacularly and 2026 in an era of even stricter control. Get ready; The real race only starts.