Have F1's new-for-2026 regulations made the sport too complicated?

"F1's careful messaging around its brand-new cars was shattered a week into the first official preseason test this month. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said they're so complicated "you need a degree to fully understand it all." Four-time world champion Max Verstappen likened them to all-electric series Formula E "on steroids." Verstappen has doubled down on those comments this week."

"Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso suggested the energy management required in the new cars -- which feature a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power -- makes it so easy to drive through certain corners that members of the media or Aston Martin's chef could do it without issue. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has raised concerns over how difficult it will be to overtake."

"F1's 2026 machines feature sweeping changes to the aerodynamic designs of the car and on the engine side. Visually, the result has been spectacular, with cars looking much closer in design to the mid-2000s, with a lot of the complex aerodynamics of more recent times stripped away in a bid to create more opportunities for wheel-to-wheel racing."

New-generation Formula 1 cars have provoked criticism from multiple top drivers for their complexity, energy management demands, and impact on racing purity. The cars combine near 50-50 internal combustion and electric power, requiring intricate energy management that some say makes certain corners trivial to navigate. Drivers have compared the cars to Formula E and suggested they require specialized understanding. Visually, the cars resemble mid-2000s designs after simplified aerodynamics intended to promote wheel-to-wheel racing. Concerns include reduced overtaking opportunities and a departure from a pure racing feel despite the striking new aesthetics.

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