Jul.5 (GMM) Criticism of Formula 1’s 2026 regulations is only intensifying at Silverstone, with former driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen urging the sport to “wake up” as current drivers continued to express frustration over the racing.
“F1, please wake up,” Frentzen wrote on X after qualifying for the British GP.
The characteristics of the new cars were exposed again at Silverstone, with several drivers saying the regulations have stripped away the traditional challenge of attacking fast corners and making daring overtaking moves.
Fernando Alonso, a long-time critic of the regulations, said the problems had been evident from the opening race.
“We already said this at the beginning of the year, that these regulations were going to bring this type of racing, and the driver aspect where you push hard in the corners or make a risky overtake on the outside or by diving in at the last moment, braking late… all these things have kind of disappeared,” the Aston Martin driver said.
“You have to have more battery power in the front car, press the button and overtake. That’s the new Formula 1.
“You may like it more or less. It probably makes things a little less important for the driver, but at the same time, we can’t complain.
“The teams and the FIA thought it was the best option, and now we have to get the most out of the car to win races, be at the front, and think about the next set of regulations when they come.
“This is what we have now, and we have to make the best of it.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has also spent much of the season lobbying Formula 1 and the FIA for changes, with tweaks already agreed for 2027.
The Dutchman, however, said the current generation of cars will continue to disappoint at some of the sport’s greatest venues this year. “This is how Formula 1 is at the moment, you can’t make much of it,” Verstappen said.
“Spa and Monza are going to be more of the same again. And that is a shame, because I think Spa is a very beautiful circuit.
“But not with these cars.”
Verstappen admitted difficult weekends under the current regulations can leave him counting the hours until he leaves the circuit. “You look forward to going home,” he said.
But despite Aston Martin’s difficult season and the frustrations surrounding the regulations, Alonso – whose next move in F1 is still not decided – insisted his motivation remains intact.
“Apart from being here with the media, I do what I want and what I like,” the 44-year-old said.
“I work with the team every week to try to understand what the weak points of the car are and try to improve, and to try to stay united and work towards the next step.
“It was a difficult start, it’s repetitive to say and I understand that, but on our part we are very focused and determined to turn the situation around and we are working hard to do so.”
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