Formula 1 has undergone a radical overhaul ahead of the 2026 season opener in Australia.
The cars are shorter, narrower and lighter, but perhaps most decisively now 50% of the power comes from the battery rather than from the combustion engine. The aerodynamics are also different, and instead of the usual DRS, drivers have a "boost" button that allows them to unlock more power during the race.
Some experts have called the changes "the biggest ever," and not everyone is happy about it.
What has changed in the car?
Other than the aforementioned changes to the car, the tires have also become slimmer. In addition, the underbody is no longer curved but flat. The front and rear wings can be adjusted by the driver during the race from "corner mode" where there is more downforce in the corners, to "straight mode" where there is less drag on the straights. All these adjustments have significantly changed the aerodynamics of the car.
However, the biggest change has been to the drive system. The cars still have a 1.6-liter V6 turbo engine. Last season it generated 80% of its power, but now the split between engine and battery is 50:50. This increases the importance of the battery, which is constantly charged and discharged while driving. Drivers can release the stored energy at the touch of a button and use it to accelerate or overtake.
What does this mean for driving?
It means drivers must work together with their race engineers to continuously manage energy. Drivers collect energy when braking, when they lift their foot off the gas (lift and coast), or when they shift down to a lower gear in corners (engine braking). A single charge is not sufficient for an entire race. In fact, you can't even go full throttle for an entire lap with it.
Many of the drivers are not at all enthusiastic about the new reliance on battery power. Four-time drivers' champion Max Verstappen was particularly vocal during preseason testing in Bahrain.
"It actually has nothing to do with Formula 1," grumbled the Dutchman. "It feels more like Formula E on steroids."
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton called the energy management requirements "ridiculously complex" and feared that it would often be difficult for spectators to understand why the driver was not going full throttle.
"None of the fans will understand it," predicted the Briton, who is aiming to win a record-setting eighth drivers' title.
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