Regulation changes are pretty common (they happen every couple of years, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2026 etc.) and basically yes they do serve to intentionally shake thi

Regulation changes are pretty common (they happen every couple of years, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2026 etc.) and basically yes they do serve to intentionally shake things up. Regulation changes are not typically as large as this though - this is definitely the biggest change in more than a decade. All the regs changes since 2014 have mostly left the engines alone and changed only the aerodynamic rules, whereas 2026 combines a huge change to both engines and aerodynamic rules. Part of the appeal of F1 is the constant technological development arms race aspect so it's not just that it shakes up the order but that it's pushing the arms race in a direction that manufacturers (e.g. Honda, Ford, Audi, Mercedes, GM) are interested in. The 50/50 hybrid split was aimed at attracting manufacturers and keeping them interested in the sport and it has been basically successful at doing so, so long as it doesn't turn into a disaster lol. Active aerodynamics is controversial but somewhat necessary to make the 50/50 split work, because otherwise the cars would be too draggy.