Ferrari\u2019s Lewis Hamilton says drivers have been forced to use first and second gears in some corners \u201cbecause we can\u2019t recover enough battery power\u201d with the new F1 2026 cars.<\/p>\n
And he warned that lift and coast could be required even on a qualifying lap at circuits with limited braking zones during the new season.<\/p>\n
Lewis Hamilton joins Max Verstappen in criticising F1 2026 cars<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Formula 1\u2019s chassis and engine regulations have been overhauled ahead of the F1 2026 season with the sport embracing 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics.<\/p>\n With the MGU-H removed from the engine\u2019s architecture for 2026, the power of the MGU-K \u2013 the ancillary used to recover kinetic energy in the style of the previous KERS unit \u2013 has been almost tripled to 350 kilowatts.<\/p>\n After a behind-closed-doors shakedown in Barcelona last month, a three-day test is being held in Bahrain this week with limited television coverage offering the first opportunity to ride onboard with the 2026 cars.<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to race for Ferrari in F1 2026 season<\/p>\n F1 driver contracts: What is the contract status of every driver on the F1 2026 grid?<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026 driver salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers on the grid?<\/a><\/p>\n It has been noted that drivers have been using first and second gears in corners where they would not have been used under the previous rules, with the cars unstable on corner entry as a result.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com on Thursday<\/a>, Red Bull driver and four-time world champion Max Verstappen has made clear his dissatisfaction with the new rules, labelling the regulations \u201canti-racing.\u201d<\/p>\n And Hamilton has become the latest big name to criticise an aspect of the regulations, warning that the prospect of lifting and coasting on a qualifying lap is \u201cnot what racing is about.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamilton has explained that the use of the lower gears is a function of the need to recovery battery power under the new rules, with the unusual approach resulting in changes to the car\u2019s behaviour in the first phase of a corner.<\/p>\n He warned that drivers could be forced to lift and coast \u2013 a technique usually deployed to save fuel \u2013 600 metres before the apex at circuits like the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya due to the lack of hard braking zones around the lap.<\/p>\n He told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: \u201cThe low gears that we have to go down into is just because we can\u2019t recover enough battery power.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t recover enough battery power, so that\u2019s why we have to go [down into the low gears].<\/p>\n \u201cWe can rev the engines very, very, very high so we\u2019re going down to second and first in some places, just to try to recover that extra bit of power.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at Barcelona, for example, we\u2019re doing 600 metres lift and coast on a qualifying lap. That\u2019s not what racing is about.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, we\u2019re not having to do that because there\u2019s lots of braking zones.<\/p>\n \u201cThat definitely doesn\u2019t help, because the steps between those ratios are quite high and so when you kick that down into first gear, it can snap.<\/p>\n \u201cBut also it\u2019s very low downforce. And also there\u2019s a tailwind here, so lots of people locking up into Turn 10.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the hardest getting through Turn 10 today than I think it\u2019s ever been coming to this track.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it was just a lot of sliding around on top of the tyres. It\u2019s not spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if the fastest car on a given weekend could end up missing out on the win due to poor energy management, Hamilton explained that how teams and drivers manage deployment will be \u201ckey\u201d in F1 2026.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI have no clue, mate. I have no idea. Really. I can\u2019t even answer that question.<\/p>\n \u201cEnergy management is going to be key. Which team is most on top of deployment and all that, and which drivers are on top of that -managing the controls, the feedback the driver is getting \u2013 those things are going to be crucial.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll find out more as we get into the race scenarios. Everyone\u2019s kind of in the same boat there.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n