Formula 1 is preparing for a technical revolution in 2026, with new hybrid Power Units pushed further towards electric power and cars that will be slower than the current ones. But that is not the only concern for the drivers, as Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll have not hidden their fears about a Formula that risks becoming too scientific and not very enjoyable.
The 2025 season still has much to offer, but for the teams the future is closer than it seems, with one of the biggest revolutions in the history of Formula 1 on the horizon. Some aspects have been known for a long time: at the base there will be a new Power Unit, with 50% of total power generated by the electric side, while in terms of the cars the focus will be on efficiency, also with a more marked use of active aerodynamics.
However, it is precisely the fundamental elements of the new regulations that “worry” the drivers, who have already openly expressed their concerns about the possibility that the 2026 single-seaters will not be particularly fun to drive, despite a radical change in aerodynamic and chassis philosophy compared to the current technical cycle. The restrictions imposed on the future Power Units played a central role in shaping the new regulations, designed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency and reduce energy consumption on each lap. This led to the need for simpler cars, with less drag, less downforce, and design concepts profoundly different from the past.
As illustrated by the FIA at the time of publishing the regulations, ground-effect cars will disappear, with a return to a flat floor, with the aim of avoiding excessive aerodynamic sensitivity of the floor itself and the resulting extremely stiff setups, which were never truly appreciated by the drivers. But where exactly do the fears about the new technical cycle come from?
Is there too much science behind the 2026 cars?
“Let’s say it’s not the most fun car I’ve ever driven, but we are still at a relatively early stage of the project,” explained Charles Leclerc in Austria, highlighting the concerns for a regulation that will be very different not only from the current one, but also from previous technical cycles.
“My hope is that it evolves in the coming months, but I don’t think it’s a secret that next year’s regulations will probably make the cars less enjoyable to drive. So no, at the moment I’m not a big fan. However, there is a challenge, and I like the challenge of maximizing the potential of a car that is very different from the current one. But will I have fun? Probably not.”
The Ferrari driver, however, was not the only one to express doubts about the near future of Formula 1. Lance Stroll, despite the optimism for 2026 linked to Aston Martin’s investments, also did not sound enthusiastic about the regulations, calling them “a bit sad.”
“I don’t know if these rules are that exciting. But it’s all relative: if you have a fast car, then they become exciting. We’ll see what next year brings. I don’t know what the other teams’ cars are like. Everything will depend on when we all show up in Australia for the first race. So we’ll see when that day comes. But the regulations, yes… they are a bit sad.”
“I think it’s a shame that F1 is going in this direction towards electric power, and that all the downforce had to be taken away to support the power of the batteries. It would be nice to see light, agile, fast cars with plenty of downforce, to put it simply. Less of a scientific project on batteries and energy, and more simply a Formula 1 championship.”
Charles Leclerc has been one of the few official drivers to try a prototype compliant with the 2026 regulations. Usually, in fact, this still early stage of development is left mostly to reserve drivers, who can follow the evolution of the project more consistently, something that is difficult for full-time drivers with such a packed calendar that also requires them to prepare for every Grand Prix.
Williams team principal James Vowles, whose team shifted focus to 2026 earlier than others, tried to reassure Leclerc, saying that “things improve” with development, as driving characteristics start to take shape and work is done to find a better balance between downforce and drag.
“I think it’s fair to say that we are at a more advanced stage compared to other teams. And I can tell Charles that it gets better. His comment gives us an indication of where they are now in their development phase. I don’t think the new formula is negative at all. It’s just different,” added Vowles.
“If you ask a driver what the ideal car is, he will say: tyres with a lot of grip and little degradation, 1000 horsepower, a naturally aspirated V12 engine, and he will be happy,” commented Toto Wolff. “Some cars have been fun to drive, some tyres have been liked, others less. In the end, everyone will adapt. The fans must enjoy the show, and Formula 1 must remain a high-performance sport.”
It is logical that, as Stroll mentioned, the drivers want powerful, fast and responsive cars. The 2026 cars, however, were conceived with the goal of maximizing efficiency, also limiting the possibilities for teams to generate downforce. So much so that, already at the end of 2024, the regulations were revised precisely under pressure from the teams to allow more freedom. But the key issue is not only this.
The key issue is not only how they will be, but how they will be driven
Clearly, what Charles Leclerc and other drivers have tried so far in the simulator are not models close to those that will be seen in the January tests in Barcelona next year, since for many teams the project is not yet at an advanced stage.
On the dynamic front, it is known that the new cars will have more power on corner exit, but will behave differently on the straights and at corner entry. However, what many drivers refer to is not only the handling and behaviour of the car, but also how it will have to be driven.
“Things will change a lot next year. The electric side will become 50/50, with much more power coming from the electric side. In the simulations we saw that you go from full battery to empty in a straight. This means that, on circuits like Monza, you might find yourself with only 500 horsepower from the combustion engine,” explained Andrea Kimi Antonelli in an interview on the eve of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
“But we drivers can also make a difference in battery management. It also means that, on some straights or where there are sequences of corners, not going full throttle right away to save energy and have more of it on the straight. The FIA keeps changing the regulations, but we have understood that our driving style can make the difference.”
It is clear that the development of the new Power Unit, even in the simulator, has taken these aspects into account, also to identify the most suitable technical directions, although there will be continuous refinements race after race. It is no coincidence that, on certain circuits, the FIA has decided to reduce the amount of recoverable energy in qualifying to avoid the use of extreme strategies, forcing drivers to lift off at critical points.
Already today drivers are often forced to manage the tyres by lifting off in the fastest corners during races, but in a context where energy will be the dominant parameter, these dynamics will have an even greater impact on driving style, which will become even more methodical, not to mention that the topic of temperatures will also become significantly more “heated” and complex.
Making the combustion engine and a much more powerful electric unit than the current one work together optimally will not be easy: each Power Unit will have specific characteristics linked also to the choices of individual manufacturers, and it will also be up to the driver to adapt and manage the energy systematically in the best possible way. Precisely what Stroll was referring to when he spoke of a “scientific project.”
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