The debate over the new Formula 1 is wide open. Some drivers love it, others hate it. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are on opposite sides. The sense among fans is that we will have to wait to truly understand if the 2026 rules are as exciting as promised.
Is the new Formula 1 good or not?
Is this new F1 actually good? The debate continues. Right now, the answers are threefold: yes, no, and wait and see. Naturally, those excelling at the moment say yes, while those struggling criticize and complain. Even the words themselves have become a battleground. From a distance, the dueling has already begun. A reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton is leading the supporters, while on the opposite side are two other world champions: Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, who seems ready to throw it all out the window.
Alonso: “We’re in a battery championship”
Formula 1 changes its rules cyclically, and when it does, the status quo shifts dramatically. At the moment, Mercedes—especially—and Ferrari are clearly the strongest. Red Bull and McLaren, who dominated recent years, are lagging behind. Leading the opposition is Fernando Alonso, who, despite his troubles with Aston Martin, doesn’t like this kind of change. After the Shanghai race, he sharply commented: “We’re in a battery championship. We will have a battery world champion.”
Verstappen: “The new F1 is a joke”
Max Verstappen, who ended a hugely disappointing weekend with a retirement, vented his frustration at the creators of the new cars, saying scathingly: “The new Formula 1 is a joke. I’d say the same thing if I won. If anyone finds this fun, they don’t understand the real spirit of competition. This is a farce, it’s painful and frustrating. It’s a farce; I don’t see any changes for next year.”
Hamilton is enthusiastic
On the opposite side, Lewis Hamilton has long praised the new cars, beyond his podium in China. The seven-time world champion explained why he believes today’s F1 is beautiful: “Today it’s easier to follow the cars, much better than before. You can get close. There isn’t that annoying wake that makes you lose too much downforce.”
Talking about his own race, which was thrilling at times, Hamilton admitted he had a lot of fun—another point in favor of today’s F1 for Sir Lewis: “I hope it was an exciting race to watch because from the cockpit, it was incredible. It felt like being in a go-kart, back and forth, back and forth, and you could place the car perfectly, sometimes with just a piece of paper between us, but without touching. I think that’s because we are both great drivers and we respect each other.”
The future of F1 is still unwritten
Formula 1 is clearly experiencing a period of great excitement and popularity. The recent F1 film even won an Oscar. What the track shows so far is pure enjoyment. Neither of the two races this season has been flat. The question now is whether future races will continue to deliver spectacular racing or if Mercedes’ superiority will become even more pronounced.
The 2026 regulations have created a technical and philosophical divide in the paddock. While the “battery” era may frustrate the traditionalists, the increased ability for close-quarters combat is delivering the high-stakes drama that fans crave. Whether this trend continues or settles into a predictable hierarchy will be the defining narrative of the season.
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