{"id":472899,"date":"2026-02-13T18:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472899\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T18:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:32:10","slug":"hamilton-verstappen-among-f1s-biggest-stars-not-enjoying-2026-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/472899\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton, Verstappen Among F1’s Biggest Stars Not Enjoying 2026 Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the brave new world of Formula 1\u2019s 2026 regulations has become more familiar in Bahrain this week, teams, drivers, and fans have developed a better idea of what to expect over the course of this season. And worryingly, some of the top drivers have been expressing negative views that will likely not be well received by the F1 organization and the FIA, both of whom have much invested in the changes. In the Drive to Survive era, anything that suggests all is not rosy in F1 doesn\u2019t go down well with the major stakeholders\u2014and thus, when the most important voices in the sport take a negative stance, people start to become a little worried. <\/p>\n

Last year, when drivers started to run the 2026 models<\/a> in factory simulators, there were some concerned comments about what the machines were like. The counter-argument from team bosses and others was hat it was perhaps too early in the development curve for anyone to draw any such conclusions, and that the virtual cars would become more representative with time. Now that drivers have tried the physical cars and are just a few weeks away from the first race, that argument doesn\u2019t wash any more, and some of the biggest names in the sport are saying exactly what they think. <\/p>\n

On the plus side, the 2026 cars are smaller and lighter; they look better; and with less grip to be had, drivers generally like the old-school way they slide around. What they don\u2019t enjoy is the workload involved in energy management\u2014for example, the way they have to modify braking and throw the cars into lower gears at high revs as part of the process of charging the battery.<\/p>\n

Even across its different eras, F1 has been about conserving fuel, tires, gearboxes, brakes, and other consumable parts to varying degrees. That gentle touch and ability to take as little as possible out of the equipment is part of the required skill set. However, the new focus on juggling battery life and energy deployment above anything else isn\u2019t why they became racing drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the fans are going to understand it,\u201d Lewis Hamilton<\/a> said this week. \u201cIt’s so complex\u2014it’s ridiculously complex. I sat in a meeting the other day, and they were taking us through it. And it’s like you need a degree to fully understand it all…\u201d<\/p>\n

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NurPhoto\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to stress that the very best drivers won\u2019t lose out\u2014a characteristic of the greats is that they can drive at the limit while still having the spare capacity to process information, play with settings, and so on. It’s simply that they are not enjoying the way the cars have to be driven, despite their nimble behavior on track.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all the regulations have their own special things, and different driving techniques are needed for different cars and different set of regulations,\u201d said Fernando Alonso<\/a>, who has sampled more F1 rule sets than anyone else on the grid. \u201cI think this one is a little bit more dramatic on that regard. Some of the energy management and some of the driving that you have to do in order to optimize the energy around the lap, and sometimes even in qualifying, is a bit annoying. From a driver point of view, you want to drive 100 percent, and I think now you need to think a little bit more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

If doubts from Hamilton and Alonso were not enough, it was another multiple World Champion who really made waves this week with his take on 2026. Max Verstappen\u2019s love of \u201cpure\u201d racing is well known\u2014his passion for driving GT cars at the Nordschleife<\/a> is evidence of that. Despite his Red Bull\u2019s new Ford power unit hitting the ground in better shape than anyone expected, suggesting he could have a good season, he couldn\u2019t conceal his dislike of what it\u2019s like to drive these cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a driver, the feeling is not very F1-like,\u201d said the Dutchman. \u201cIt feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids. As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out. And at the moment, you cannot drive like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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NurPhoto\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that need to focus so much attention on energy management that Verstappen doesn\u2019t enjoy. \u201cThere’s a lot going on,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of what you do as a driver in terms of inputs has a massive effect on the energy side of things. And for me, that’s just not F1\u2014because then maybe it’s then better to drive Formula E, right? Because that’s all about energy efficiency and management, and that’s what they stand for. So yeah, driving-wise, not so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that Verstappen feels that his racer\u2019s edge will be blunted by the rules; as noted earlier, the best drivers have that ability to cope with whatever the engineers ask of them. “I think in general, in the history of the sport, the fastest or best drivers, normally they win the championship, or they end up in the best team,\u201d he said. \u201cI think all the good drivers will be able to adapt to it. That’s not the problem. It’s just the whole way of racing is changing, I would say it\u2019s less pure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good drivers will always be on top,” he added. “And of course, the people that have a bit more capacity around just driving fast, will probably be up there. That’s also not what I’m trying to say, because that’s also not my worry. It’s just the general driving experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all negatives up and down the pit lane. When told about Verstappen\u2019s concerns, reigning World Champion Lando Norris<\/a> made it clear that he doesn\u2019t want to upset the apple cart at this stage of his career, and he\u2019s willing to drive whatever he\u2019s given.<\/p>\n

\u201cF1 changes all the time,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes it’s a bit better to drive, sometimes not as good to drive. We get paid a stupid amount of money to drive, so you can’t really complain at the end of the day. Any driver can go and find something else to do. It’s not like he has to be here, or any driver has to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regarding the new cars, he said: \u201cIt’s a challenge, but it’s a good fun challenge, for the engineers, for the drivers. It’s different. You have to drive it in different way and understand things differently, and manage things differently. But I still get to drive cars and travel the world and have a lot of fun. So no, nothing to complain about.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, we\u2019ve only had testing. It could be that, in the early events, we find out these rules actually produce good entertainment and unpredictable races, with lots of overtaking and different winners. Indeed, the requirement to get the energy management just right for 70 laps could create errors that shake up what previously might have been processional races. One thing is for sure: it will be a different kind of F1.<\/p>\n

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