There is growing debate among Formula 1 drivers about the 2026 regulations and the on-track feeling of the next-generation cars. The new machines are expected to be true rockets on the straights, while appearing slow and far less exciting through the corners.
Sergio Perez (currently at Cadillac) and Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, did not hold back in their criticism. The two former Red Bull teammates from 2021 to 2024 described modern Formula 1 as a Formula E car “on steroids,” underlining their concerns about the direction the sport is taking.
Looking back at previous seasons, it is easy to think that the type of energy management we were used to will feel almost insignificant once we see the 2026 cars in action for the first time in Melbourne.
Alonso would gladly return to the 1990s and 2000s: “Light cars and the sound of F1”
When imagining the new regulations, many believed drivers might be able to make the difference, at least in the early stages of the season. However, according to Fernando Alonso, that will not be the case at all.
“There’s so much energy involved that the driver almost disappears. On the straights we use all the energy available, and in the corners we have to be careful not to waste it. That makes us quite slow in the technical sections,” he said to Mara Sangiorgio of Sky Sport F1.
From his words, it is clear that Fernando Alonso is far from enthusiastic about the upcoming regulations. He reinforced his position by adding: “The best cars to drive, in my opinion, were from the 1990s and 2000s. Light cars with the sound of F1. You found lap time by taking risks, feeling the car and pushing the limits. Now there’s no risk to take, especially in the corners. Everything we could have given as drivers is reduced.”
The two-time world champion’s comments reflect a wider concern within the paddock: that the 2026 Formula 1 cars could shift even more emphasis toward energy deployment and straight-line efficiency, leaving less room for driver instinct and cornering bravery. For fans who grew up watching lighter, louder and more aggressive machinery, Fernando Alonso’s words echo a sense of nostalgia for an era when raw driving skill was often the decisive factor.
Fernando Alonso’s nostalgia for the lightweight, screaming V10s of his youth highlights a growing divide between the FIA’s sustainability goals and the drivers’ desire for visceral, high-stakes racing. While the 2026 cars will break records for top speed, the “energy management” required in the corners risks turning the world’s best drivers into mere battery technicians. As the paddock heads toward the season opener, the pressure is on the new regulations to prove that they can still deliver the “risk-taking” spectacle that Fernando Alonso and the fans crave.
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