Like the article mentions, a fair bit of this is safety features. An absolute win in my opinion, even if it makes racing a bit worse. The racing is quite good this year, so obviously there's some wake/following stuff going right

Some of it being weight to discourage exotic materials makes sense too. Not that it's cheap or sustainable but it is a scale and it should continue to move towards sustainable where possible

Petrol-electric hybrids have been an out-of-control marketing gimmick that consumed the automobile industry for twenty years, placating regulators and the public while avoiding the need to make any real changes. Their main effect has been to conclusively demonstrate the applicability of Jevons' paradox. F1 was just collateral damage.