On the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton shared his thoughts on the new Formula 1 era. Despite the criticism that has accompanied the debut of the 2026 regulations, the seven-time world champion openly supported the on-track spectacle, expressing pride in the work carried out by Ferrari to return to fighting at the front.
“Obviously, there are many different opinions about this year’s generation of cars, but for me it’s simply exciting that it’s a new era for the sport,” Lewis Hamilton said at Suzuka. “I think every time a new cycle begins, it’s always exciting to see who can emerge. I’m proud of the team and the work we’ve done over the past year to get to this point, to be closer to the front and fully in the fight; I think it shows the incredible effort made by the team.”
Between technical compromises and driving enjoyment
Lewis Hamilton did not hide the fact that the new cars require a very particular driving style, one that is not without less enjoyable aspects from a pure driving perspective, such as energy management and active aerodynamics. However, the overall balance from the British driver’s point of view remains largely positive.
“Of course, there are aspects I don’t love, like the way the power is deployed, having to do lift and coast, and the Straight Mode (SM); it’s not all ideal. But from a racing point of view, it’s been really, really fun.”
After the Chinese Grand Prix, in which he was involved in a spectacular battle with fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton described the Shanghai race as “the best race I’ve ever seen in F1.” Emphasizing how the on-track excitement is outweighing the technical complexities, the British driver then drew a comparison with one of the most iconic battles of his career.
“That fight I had with Charles was one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever experienced, I think. Maybe only matched by the one between me and Nico (Rosberg) in Bahrain, many years ago.”
The reference is to the thrilling duel that saw him emerge victorious at the end of the 2014 race in Sakhir. That race also marked the beginning of a new technical revolution—the introduction of hybrid power units—and the spectacle provided by the two Mercedes cars briefly overshadowed the clear dominance of the Silver Arrows over their rivals, which would go on to define that season.
Defending “back-and-forth” overtakes: the karting comparison
The most interesting aspect of Lewis Hamilton’s comments concerns his defense of the “back-and-forth” overtakes seen in the first two Grands Prix, which some critics have labeled with the dismissive term “yo-yo racing.” For Lewis Hamilton, the ability to exchange positions multiple times within the same lap represents the very essence of racing.
“I just hope we see more of it, because that’s what racing is all about. It’s a constant back and forth, up and down, instead of a single overtake after which it’s all over.”
“Personally, I really enjoy it,” the British driver added, taking a subtle jab at those who have criticized this dynamic. “The point I was making earlier is that in karting it happens all the time—you overtake each other constantly, and nobody has ever called it ‘yo-yo racing’. It’s called real racing. So whoever came up with that definition… well, you know what I mean.”
Lewis Hamilton is therefore embracing the 2026 changes with the enthusiasm of a driver who values wheel-to-wheel combat over technical perfection. Based on the content of his pre-Suzuka comments, the 2026 regulations have successfully captured the “karting spirit” that many fans and drivers felt was missing from the previous generation of heavy, downforce-dependent cars.
