New F1 rules 'ridiculously complex' - Hamilton

Sakhir, Bahrain – Lewis Hamilton has launched a scathing critique of Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, warning that the sport’s new technical framework is “ridiculously complex” and risks alienating fans.

After sampling Ferrari’s 2026 challenger during the opening morning of pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit, the seven-time world champion said the heightened energy-management demands are so convoluted that “you need a degree to understand” their full implications.

Central to Hamilton’s frustration is the revised power-unit formula, which now splits output almost evenly between the internal-combustion engine and electrical components. The change has produced a generation of cars that are, in effect, “energy starved” for much of a lap, forcing teams to harvest every possible joule through an array of counter-intuitive techniques.

Among the most conspicuous compromises are deliberately short-shifting, lifting and coasting up to 600 m before a corner on qualifying runs, and selecting lower gears than aerodynamic efficiency would normally permit—all to keep the battery within its narrow operating window. Hamilton cited Barcelona, where drivers are already backing off halfway down the main straight, as evidence that “this is not what racing is about.”

The Briton also highlighted a new lexicon of driver controls—active aerodynamics, overtake mode, regenerative braking, part-throttle overload, and a so-called Superclip function that diverts excess energy to the battery even at full throttle—each interacting with the others in ways that can leave a driver defenceless moments after launching an attack.

“If you hit the boost button to pass, you might get re-passed immediately because you’ve emptied the battery,” Hamilton explained. “The fans aren’t going to understand why a car suddenly goes slow on the straight after going quick into the corner.”

The 41-year-old’s unease is compounded by a late-winter overhaul of his inner circle. Long-time race engineer Riccardo Adami has transitioned to Ferrari’s driver-development programme, leaving Hamilton to collaborate initially with Carlo Santi—Kimi Räikkönen’s former engineer—while the team searches for a permanent replacement. Hamilton labelled the timing “detrimental” as he seeks stability after a win-less 2025 campaign.

Ferrari insists Hamilton is “in good hands” and denies the revolving-door scenario places him at a disadvantage, yet the veteran faces the prospect of re-calibrating his feedback loop just as the grid grapples with the most radical performance variables in recent memory.

Rulemakers have indicated they will allow the regulations to bed in before contemplating tweaks, acknowledging that teams are still interpreting how best to balance outright pace with energy conservation. Hamilton, for his part, believes the learning curve is already steep enough: “We’re going down to first gear in some places just to recover power. That tells you how extreme it’s become.”

Whether the spectacle improves before the season-opening Grand Prix remains to be seen, but Hamilton’s verdict is unequivocal: the new rule book has made an already intricate sport almost impenetrable to the uninitiated.