{"id":470096,"date":"2026-02-12T11:37:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T11:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/470096\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:37:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T11:37:14","slug":"hamilton-says-2026-f1-cars-feel-slower-than-f2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/470096\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton says 2026 F1 cars ‘feel slower than F2’"},"content":{"rendered":"

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton (pictured) has delivered a blunt early verdict on F1\u2019s all-new 2026 machinery, suggesting the cars feel \u201cslower than F2\u201d as pre-season testing got underway in Bahrain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Day 1 lap times were about four seconds off the equivalent 2025 benchmark \u2013 with several teams even several seconds further behind that new slower pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re slower now than in F2, right? That\u2019s the feeling,\u201d Hamilton said. \u201cOverall, it\u2019s certainly a more enjoyable car to drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he acknowledged the cars are \u201cfun\u201d, the seven-time world champion warned that the complexity of the new hybrid systems and active aerodynamics could alienate fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the fans are going to understand it, I don\u2019t think. It\u2019s so complex,\u201d Hamilton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ridiculously complex. I sat in a meeting the other day and they\u2019re taking us through it. It\u2019s like you need a PhD to fully understand it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Article:\u00a0\u00a0F1 News: Radical tree-hugger 2026 Frankenstein cars will ruin F1<\/a><\/p>\n

Asked whether race wins in 2026 will come down to battery management, he admitted: \u201cI have no clue, mate. I have no idea what\u2019s going to happen. 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 which driver is on top of that most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, early paddock whispers suggest Max Verstappen may again set the benchmark, with the Dutchman already demonstrating an ability to harvest aggressively \u2013 even selecting very low gears under braking to maximise battery charge.<\/p>\n

Valtteri Bottas, returning to the grid with Cadillac, urged patience amid widespread complaints about grip levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, many drivers are complaining about the lack of grip, but we know how this sport works and how much this new generation of race cars will develop,\u201d he said. \u201cLaptimes will drop so significantly from the beginning to the end of the season that everything will feel grippier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"77 Valtteri Bottas, (FIN), Cadillac Ferrari F1 Team, during the Winter testing days 1, Formula 1 World Championship 2026 Bahrain 11-13 February 2026<\/p>\n

However, the 36-year-old Finn admitted the ultra-fast cornering speeds of recent years have disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite different,\u201d Bottas said. \u201cThe feeling in the car reminds me of the cars from 2014 to 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso echoed Hamilton\u2019s concerns about the increasing complexity, suggesting drivers may have less influence than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe regulations are a bit more complex and require some thought before getting in the car or when planning an overtake,\u201d Alonso said. \u201cBut at the same time, the teams are very well prepared now. Everything is simulated in advance, and we already have that information from Thursday, so on Sunday there won\u2019t be many surprises or many mistakes the driver can make.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t have much freedom over what you can do or how much energy you can use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Fernando Alonso. 2026 Image supplied by the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team<\/p>\n

The Spaniard also doubts the 2026 revolution will restore the raw excitement of earlier eras.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was definitely more adrenaline with the older cars,\u201d Alonso said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to drive cars at the limits of physics, not for efficiency or a robotic driving style you need to maximise efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ll get used to it, but we\u2019ll never go back to the late 90s or early 2000s, when cars were light, fast, and had that engine noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans have already criticised the odd onboard sound of the new engines after Formula 1 released a full lap from Lando Norris, with some comparing it to Formula E or even a vacuum cleaner.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Verstappen hinted Red Bull-Ford\u2019s encouraging early form may simply reflect extensive experimentation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ran through many scenarios we might encounter on race day,\u201d he said. \u201cFor a powertrain manufacturer that has been in business for a long time, this might be easier, but when you\u2019re new, you have to try everything. Of course, we also completed many normal runs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the pitlane, Aston Martin struggled after Honda identified an \u201canomaly\u201d on the engine, having already limited top speeds in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

Audi also unveiled radical new sidepods.<\/p>\n

\"\"05 Gabriel Bortoleto, (BRA), Revolut Audi F1 Team R26, during the Winter testing days 1, Formula 1 World Championship 2026 Bahrain 11-13 February 2026<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s fair to call this a B version,\u201d boss Mattia Binotto grinned. \u201cDon\u2019t ask what\u2019s new. Everything is new.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(GMM) Lewis Hamilton (pictured) has delivered a blunt early verdict on F1\u2019s all-new 2026 machinery, suggesting the cars…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,82],"class_list":["post-470096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}