The rulebook overhaul that could help Canada’s only F1 driver outrun his billionaire dad’s shadow

Canada’s lone Formula One driver has spent his career plagued by the claim that he hasn’t earned his spot in F1, that it’s thanks entirely to the financial backing of his billionaire dad.

But all eyes are on 2026 and the massive overhaul in F1’s technical regulations that could finally change everything for Montreal-born Lance Stroll and the U.K.-based Aston Martin team.

“There’s just massive potential for that team,” said F1TV commentator and Canadian racing driver James Hinchcliffe.

“There’s a lot of hope and if that car’s quick, yeah, Lance could be fighting for podiums and maybe get that first win.”

F1 isn’t like any other motorsport in the world. Its rulebook undergoes a massive overhaul every three to five years.

Because each team builds its own car from scratch — engineering every component from the ground up — it’s as much a race for technical innovation as a race on the track. Teams spend years building the fastest, most advanced cars on the planet — pushing the regulations to their limit and exploiting loopholes — until the rules are rewritten.

The 2026 regulations overhaul has a few key changes: the cars will be smaller and lighter and thus, in theory, better able to overtake on track. The cars are narrower and the minimum weight has been reduced by 30 kilograms; new power units run on sustainable fuels and with an even split between internal combustion engine and electric power; and a new aerodynamic system features movable front and rear wings.

“When it’s this big of a shakeup … everyone’s saying it’s the biggest change they’ve had in the history of the sport. It’s a fresh sheet of paper,” Hinchcliffe said.

“It’s everything. Every single team … every single driver thinks, ‘Hey 2026 is going to be our