Major regulation changes usually lead to bigger gaps in Formula 1. Both the teams and the FIA expect a bigger field spread than last year, although the governing body has introduced several measures to prevent a repeat of 2014.
At the start of the hybrid era, Mercedes arrived with a superior power unit, after which dominance was effectively locked in for years. With the 2026 reset, such a scenario is theoretically possible again, but the FIA has learned from the past and added some safety nets to the regulations.
