I don't follow F1 at all, but I do see references to it a ton more than I ever used to, so I assume it is surging in popularity.

Why would they make such drastic changes for 2026? Is it to intentionally shake things up and make it more interesting? If so, I love that that is something they are willing to do. Most pro sports are pretty traditional and change quit slowly. Even the fastest changing league (in my opinion), the NBA, still changes quite slowly.