A new era built around electrical power

Formula 1’s sweeping 2026 regulations have transformed both the cars and the way they are driven. With power units relying on an almost even split between combustion and electric energy, drivers must constantly manage battery deployment, harvesting and recharge rather than simply attack every lap at full throttle.

Max Verstappen described the new cars as “anti-racing” and “not a lot of fun” during preseason testing, while Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson said the regulations had created “a whole new driving style” that felt “extremely unnatural.” Drivers have had to learn when to lift, where to conserve energy and how to anticipate the car’s automated electrical strategy.

Software now shapes every lap

The cars’ control systems can decide to deploy electrical power in a different corner or on a different straight from the one the driver expects. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the system effectively “forward calculates” how to deliver energy, influencing straight-line speed, braking points and cornering speeds.

That can produce frustrating consequences. Esteban Ocon said a small change in throttle application during qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix caused the system to withhold power on the following straight. Despite carrying more speed through the preceding corners, he lost four-tenths of a second. “Last year I would have got away with it no problem,” Ocon said. “This year, the power never came back on the next straight.”

The problem is especially pronounced on circuits with long straights, including Spa and Silverstone, where batteries drain quickly and have fewer opportunities to recharge. Fernando Alonso called racing at the two venues “quite sad” under the new rules. Shorter, slower tracks such as the Hungaroring have proved easier to drive aggressively because their frequent braking zones help manage energy more naturally.

Overtaking is plentiful — and strategically simpler

Drivers still need to plan passes, but the decisive factor is often no longer a late-braking move or a daring line around the outside. Instead, a driver who has preserved more electrical energy can press the deployment button and create an overwhelming speed advantage.

Kimi Antonelli’s pass on Lewis Hamilton to win the Silverstone sprint illustrated the effect: the speed difference between the cars was reported to be almost 25 mph. Sergio Pérez compared the tactic to Mario Kart, saying drivers must have “the mushroom at the right moment” and avoid using it too early.

Hamilton said overtaking was “definitely” less satisfying than before because drivers are largely calculating how much battery they have and when to spend it. Verstappen made a similar point after passing Hamilton in Hungary, saying he preferred driving up to a rival and attempting a move under braking. “Now, the overtake is sometimes done in the middle of the straight, so it’s a bit odd,” he said.

That contrast has created a divide between the spectacle and the substance. More overtakes may appeal to casual viewers, while experienced fans and drivers question whether energy-led passes represent the kind of wheel-to-wheel competition traditionally associated with Formula 1.

F1 says the wider audience is satisfied

Formula 1’s own research presents a more positive picture than an Athletic fan survey, in which only 10.4 percent of respondents said the racing was more exciting than in previous seasons. On F1’s Fan Voice forum, 66 percent of participants rated the racing “Good” or “Excellent,” up from 60 percent the previous year.

F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali argued that most viewers care primarily about visible action rather than the technical explanation behind it. “No one is interested in how you drive your car,” Domenicali said. “The people are interested if you are overtaking or not; that’s the vast majority of the people.”

He said newer fans, many of whom have been drawn to the championship through the Netflix series Drive to Survive, are responding to the amount of action even if they do not understand terms such as clipping, harvesting or energy deployment. The sport’s fanbase has become younger and more diverse since Liberty Media took over its commercial rights in 2017, intensifying a debate over whether criticism of the new racing is being used to dismiss newer supporters.

A balance F1 cannot ignore

The Circuit of The Americas is expecting a record crowd for the United States Grand Prix, supporting F1’s belief that ticket sales and television figures remain strong. Bobby Epstein, chairman of the Austin circuit, agreed that most spectators want on-track action, but warned that the sport cannot allow the racing to become “quirky.”

F1 and the FIA have already made minor adjustments and are planning larger changes for 2027 and 2028 to reduce the reliance on electrical power. The challenge is to preserve the spectacle without making the competition feel predetermined by battery levels or software decisions.

The 2026 season can therefore be read in two ways at once: the regulations have created more visible action and helped attract or satisfy a broad audience, while drivers and some long-time fans remain unconvinced by the way that action is produced. F1 may be recording the new formula as a success, but the concerns about authenticity are unlikely to disappear.