Lewis Hamilton has questioned the new rules overhaul for the 2026 Formula One season, warning the revamped cars are “slow”.
F1 is set for its latest regulations facelift in two seasons’ time with smaller, lighter and greener cars, powered half by sustainable fuels and half by electric power.
It is expected to shake up the grid but, having seen images of the new cars in recent days, Hamilton admitted he was sceptical for the future.
Looking ahead to 2026, by which point he will be into his second season with Ferrari, Hamilton said: “It’s only 30kg [lighter], so it’s going in the right direction but they’re still heavy.
“I have spoken to some drivers who have driven it on the simulator – I haven’t – and they said it’s pretty slow so we will see if it’s the right direction or not.”
Part of the thinking around the looming changes is F1’s aim to be net zero by 2030, a move welcomed by the seven-time world champion.
He said: “In terms of sustainability, particularly on the power-unit side, that’s a really bold step and it’s going in the right direction.
“We have just got to make sure the cars are efficient, fast and a step forwards, and actually racing is improved.”
Hamilton’s rival Lando Norris warned that the rules revisions were in danger of leading to another dominant force in the sport, just as his McLaren team and others had begun to close the gap on the dominant Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
The Briton said: “There is going to be another change just as the sport gets exciting again. I guess there are reasons for it but I don’t want it to go the opposite way, especially with how complicated it is.
“You could have massive gaps and then people are going to say it’s boring again. Right now, it is as exciting as it has been for a very long time.”
Images of the new-look cars were revealed for the first time on Thursday, but Fernando Alonso warned it would be a struggle to slim down.
“I think it is impossible probably to achieve 30kg,” he said. “If the power unit is 50 per cent electric and you need the batteries to support that, cars will just increase 20 or 30kg because of the power unit.
“They have two years to achieve that target and, as always in Formula One, what is impossible in 2024 will become reality in 2026 because there are very clever people in the teams.”
