Mar.8 (GMM) Formula 1 arrived at race day in Melbourne facing a growing chorus of criticism over its new cars, with drivers, team bosses and even the sport’s own polesitter calling for rule changes after qualifying exposed the full extent of the 2026 regulations’ shortcomings.
The defining image came from George Russell’s pole lap, in which he visibly eased off the throttle 400 metres before the high-speed Turn 9 to conserve battery – a moment that crystallised fan frustration and prompted widespread mockery on social media.
Rival series Chip Ganassi Racing posted on X: “‘Super-clipping’. ‘Downshifting on straights’. ‘Battery management’. Yeah, we don’t do that here. We race.”
Lewis Hamilton was equally damning. “You start the lap at half throttle on the last corner and on the first quarter of the straight. Only then do you switch to full throttle,” he said. “This is completely at odds with what Formula 1 is all about: full throttle, full attack. We use lift-and-coast.
“This is precisely the aspect that needs to be corrected. And in my opinion, no one likes it.”
Lando Norris was also blunt. “Not very good, not very pleasant,” he said of qualifying. “I think George will be the only one who will say it was pleasant.”
He added: “The problem is you have to look at the steering wheel every three seconds to see what’s going to happen, otherwise you’re going to end up off the track.”
“We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst,” Norris continued. “It sucks, but you have to live with it and just maximise what you get given.
“I think everyone knows what the issues are – it’s just the fact that it’s a 50-50 split between electric and combustion power. It just doesn’t work.”
Asked whether there were any positives to take from the new cars, Norris replied: “Not really, no.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, despite benefitting from Mercedes’ dominant power unit, said the regulations may need to change. “We need to see if anything needs to be done, and what exactly, to make sure we keep the entertainment and also some of the DNA from driving a Formula 1 car,” he said.
“It has to be about maximising grip again, and not about recovering energy and using energy.”
Even Russell, who took pole and is clearly now title favourite, acknowledged changes are coming. “I know that the FIA is going to intervene and make changes,” he said.
“I was one of the drivers who didn’t want to judge too quickly, and Melbourne is probably the worst circuit for these engines.”
His comments came one day after a fierce discussion between drivers and the FIA in the drivers’ briefing, from which leaks suggested Max Verstappen was particularly scathing.
The FIA for now is holding its position. Nikolas Tombazis said the governing body had agreed with teams to wait before acting. “We agreed with all the teams that we would wait for the first few races to see how things go before making a hasty decision,” he said.
Reducing the electrical power limit from 350 to 250 kilowatts – a widely discussed option – would represent a significant climbdown given the 50-50 power split was a cornerstone of the entire regulatory concept.
Russell, at least, tried to find perspective. “I think there are lots of mixed views on the new regs as a whole, but I do think the car regulations for everyone are definitely a step forward compared to what we’ve had for the past eight years.
“It’s not easy to drive. It’s not easy, I think, for some of the fans to understand.”
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