Jacky Ickx says F1 audience trumps rule critics

Jacky Ickx says the only verdict that really matters on Formula 1’s controversial regulations is whether people keep watching, arguing that strong audience figures outweigh technical objections and driver frustration.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ickx said it is pointless to judge the current era against the past. “We must not make the mistake of comparing yesterday’s F1 with today’s,” he said. “My opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is looking at how the audience is doing.”

That point goes to the heart of the debate around the current rules and the incoming 2026 package, which has divided the paddock for months. Ickx’s view is that fan engagement is the real benchmark. “It’s about whether people follow F1 and how much they follow it,” he said. “The audience is the key to everything. If F1 keeps attention high and generates share, then it’s fine. Without the public, nothing can be done. If the public is there, then it’s fine.”

He framed that argument against the growing complexity of modern cars. In his era, Ickx said, drivers saw “only four parameters on the dashboard,” while today they must manage far more inside the cockpit. But he argued that complexity is not what defines success for the public. “People don’t really care what’s under the hood,” he said. “What matters are the battles on track: whether the fight is good, whether the challenge is intense.”

Ickx added that, by that measure, Formula 1 is delivering. “We’ve never seen such high audience figures,” he said.

That stance is striking because Ickx has also been sharply critical of the modern racing style. He previously described it as “playing Mario Kart” and said: “This is not racing. Look at the racing, you are boosting past and then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me it’s just a joke.”

His latest comments also cut against criticism from current drivers, including Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Verstappen has warned that the direction of the rules could “eventually ruin the sport,” while concerns around the 2026 cars have persisted even as Formula 1 and the FIA agreed further changes this week aimed at improving qualifying and driver safety.

Set against that criticism, the audience trends cited in the wider debate support Ickx’s central argument. Reports referenced growth in circuit attendance and global television audiences, including a 4% attendance rise at Albert Park, 4.5% growth in Shanghai, an 18% increase in occupancy at Suzuka, and year-on-year global TV gains of 26% in Australia, 32% in China and 19% in Japan.

For Ickx, that is the real measure of whether Formula 1’s direction is working. As long as the racing keeps people watching in record numbers, the sport’s rulemakers will have a stronger answer to criticism than any technical defense.