Now over the new generation of cars, Fernando Alonso of course has complained about the new F1 regulations (2026) again, due to the new rules of the game are more about “energy management”, than anything else about driver ability. Two time Formula 1 World Champion, after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, gave another pithy comment on the most recent Formula 1 technical era, stating that ‘overtaking’ is now based much more on battery deployment. His latest comments come in the middle of an ongoing debate concerning the FIA’s sweeping change of regulations and what it is kicking horse racing to the curb and leaving for the Reborn.
“It’s already been a change and regulation of course for overtaking in the changes I’ve noticed,” Alonso said. The sport of F1 has undergone a big makeover for the 2026 season, with a complete redesign of the chassis and power unit. The most significant news has been the power splitting capability, as the power unit now splits power output 49.5% with electricity and the traditional internal combustion engine. Introduced for efficiency and sustainability, the changes have made a decidedly different style of racing.
The one huge effect has been the rise in significance of managing the battery. In each lap, the driver will have to choose from where to use the electricity, which they have described “yo-yo racing”. The available energy can give a tremendously boosted speed when the straight is taken, then drops as the bike exhausts its battery later in the lap. The pattern and pace has created more pronounced moments to overtake but there are conflicting views amongst drivers and supporters.
Alonso thinks that this way a lot of skill was taken from one-wheel driving another. Coming back to the Silverstone Sprint Race, he stated that there were a lot of overtakes, not because of bravery or better driving, but just because ‘one of the drivers had more electrical energy’.
Today’s Formula 1 should be “lenient” with drivers who take risks, cut off the speed at later lap stages, or make aggressive lapside pass outs of the pack at corners, Alonso said. Rather, he proposed the existing one could be modified so car drivers are simply press a “deployment button” when they have extra battery power than their vehicle in front. A move from the racing style which would spanned most of his career to his debut in the 2001 season is a big jump for a driver who has raced in various eras of F1 from the start of the decade.
That criticism is nothing new, though, from Alonso. He has been driving the 2026 car around the streets of Monaco earlier this season, and described it as one of the least enjoyable Formula 1 cars he had recently driven. His views haven’t changed since Silverstone and come across as further concern for several drivers regarding the effect of the new regulations on racing.
It’s been even harder for Aston Martin. The British outfit has been languishing all season, and recently finished the race together with new Formula 1 entrant Cadillac, fighting a battle against the back of the grid. But Racing Point did not go well for the Spaniard who found himself unknowingly dismissed before the Race had begun following his AMR26’s misbehaviour on the formation lap.
The team recovered to begin the race but in the end, Alonso said it was “more of the same weekend. Aston Martin are looking for further improvements in performance plus looking to adapt to one of the most significant technical changes in Formula 1’s history.
For the future Alonso anticipates having to contend with similar problems in Belgium. The iconic road of Spa-Francorchamps will also have long straight lines and sections of high-speed racing where the deployment of batteries will again be crucial. Drivers will have to use their judgment when it comes to when to use electrical power, as it’s possible aggressive use early in the lap could leave them without backup when it matters most later during critical overtaking areas.
If he spent too much energy on the first part of the track up to turn 5 at Spa there would not be much energy to do the Kemmel straight then the run towards the chicane at the Bus Stop. This will make for very hard decisions to be made on a lap by lap basis and not give the same driver the ability to consistently drive flat out.
He also pointed out another issue he has with the existing rules. With engine-only power fit, the internal combustion engine is producing much lower power than previous Formula 1 cars, even with the help of battery deployment. Alonso even went so far as to suggest that the power output of the cars is less at that time than the contemporary Formula 2 class machinery, thus providing an “unusual experience” for drivers who are used to the performance of Formula 1 cars.
Even as he criticized the rules, Alonso reiterated that fitting in to the rules is one of the things that’s still a challenge for each of the teams and drivers. But, will the new regulations have made racing better? Formula 1 has always moved forward with pilot technology and will probably be left with this argument for the remainder of the season.
As the season continues to Belgium, it will be interesting to watch the mechanics of the competition, as well as the debate around the future of Formula 1. Either fans hate this new age, or they agree with Alonso’s objections, but it seems clear that the debate over driver skill versus technology is far from over, and Fernando Alonso is once again joining the chorus on the subject.
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