– Formula 1 once again offered an entertaining race last weekend in Canada. But according to the top drivers from Sunday, that does not mean the series is in a better position with its complex powertrain rules.
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The Grand Prix on the stop-and-go circuit in Montreal seemed to get the best out of the 2026 cars in their current configuration. There were numerous overtaking maneuvers, not only triggered by button presses but also as a result of intense wheel-to-wheel battles.
The battles for the lead between George Russell and Kimi Antonelli raised pulses at Mercedes, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also said they enjoyed their duel for P2, which Hamilton ultimately won.
The adjustments to energy management made in Miami to ease drivers’ concerns about driving with the extremely complex powertrains seem to have brought an improvement.
But in view of discussions about even more drastic changes for 2027, the podium finishers from Montreal warn that the rules are still not in a good state. Qualifying remains a major problem above all.
What is still “strange” for Hamilton
“I think it still feels strange,” Hamilton replies to the question of whether the drivers have learned to enjoy these cars. “You take power out, switch on the straight mode, and then the power drops off about halfway down the straight and the revs fall.”
“It doesn’t feel like how motorsport should be,” Hamilton finds and explains: “The engine should be revving fully to the end of the straight and just keep pulling. That’s how it used to be in the days of V8 or V10 engines.”
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“Ultimately, the car as a whole concept is better, so we race, get close, and can follow each other more closely. That is, in my opinion, the best part. The powertrain, on the other hand, is less exciting,” says the record world champion.
Race winner and championship leader Antonelli says the necessary energy management can still “trigger” drivers because they have to keep throttle position and battery charge at a certain level to achieve maximum performance over a lap.
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“It still sometimes triggers you a bit how the system works,” explains the Italian, “but with the changes that have been made and also because the FIA has given the teams a bit more leeway with the system, it has definitely helped and made many things a bit easier.”
Verstappen wishes for a “more normal” Formula 1
Antonelli emphasizes: “I think the cars are much better than last year. You can follow much more closely, and that definitely leads to more battles. But on the powertrain side – and I can’t complain about my powertrain because the team has done an incredible job – there is still work to be done.”
“It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years: whether the regulations change and whether the combustion engine is given a bit more power again,” says the Mercedes driver.
Verstappen, who previously said it was mentally “not doable” for him to continue in Formula 1 if the proposed changes for 2027 to increase combustion power are not approved, emphasizes that an entertaining race like on Sunday does not mean the rules are suddenly okay.
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“Most drivers here are the best in the world. Even if you gave us a rental car, we would put on a good show and race hard and well against each other,” warns the Dutchman and emphasizes: “That has nothing to do with the rules in this sense.”
“The fans don’t even know what we struggle with when driving – what is allowed when you are behind or in front, what we have to do in the formation lap or an outlap, or how much battery we are allowed to charge. It’s really a shame that we have to deal with all these things.”
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“For me, Formula 1 has to become more original again, and I really hope that what they plan for next year will be implemented, because I think that is the minimum to make it more natural and a bit more normal again,” says Verstappen.
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