Alonso rages about 2026 rules: "Hybrid cars shouldn’t race!"

– Fernando Alonso has once again sharply criticized the 2026 Formula 1 cars, choosing particularly strong words after Friday’s practice in Monaco. The two-time world champion even describes the current generation of cars as the worst he has ever driven on the street circuit.

Read more “Hybrid cars shouldn’t race”: Alonso slams new F1 cars

The Spaniard has been one of the loudest critics of the new regulations for months. Above all, the strong dependence on energy recovery and battery management repeatedly causes Alonso to express his incomprehension.

Monaco apparently changed nothing about this – even though the street circuit is actually considered one of the few tracks where drivers have to save significantly less energy than elsewhere. After the first practice sessions, Alonso therefore vented his frustration. And his statements are unlikely to be met with enthusiasm by Formula 1’s rule-makers.

“The worst generation of Monaco cars”

Alonso’s devastating verdict comes without any reservations. “This is probably the worst generation of cars I have ever driven in Monaco,” explains the Aston Martin driver.

He particularly criticizes the effects of energy recovery on driving behavior. In his assessment, the complex hybrid systems create an unpredictable car whose reactions can change from corner to corner.

“The way you charge the battery, through braking and lifting, creates enormous inconsistency in engine braking,” explains Alonso. “Sometimes you have less engine braking, sometimes more. Sometimes you have power, sometimes you don’t.”

According to him, the problem is further exacerbated when the battery is fully charged. “When the battery is full, you don’t recharge anymore. Then you no longer have engine braking. It feels like the car just keeps pushing.”

“Hybrid cars shouldn’t race”

Particularly noteworthy, however, is the conclusion Alonso draws from these problems. The Spaniard not only questions individual aspects of the regulations but attacks the fundamental principle of the current powertrain generation.

“These are just the rules,” he says. “Hybrid cars shouldn’t race. It’s that simple.” With this, Alonso attacks a concept that has shaped Formula 1 for over a decade and is intended to remain the core of the premier class in the future. The statement underlines how little the Aston Martin driver thinks of the current technical development.

His criticism is not directed exclusively against the theoretical properties of the regulations. According to his own statements, Aston Martin is currently suffering particularly badly from the side effects of the new technology.

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Alonso describes specific driving problems

In recent weeks, Alonso had repeatedly complained about strange reactions from his car. In Monaco, these difficulties became visible again. In the first free practice session, the Spaniard briefly lost control on the way to the harbor chicane and touched the guardrail.

Among other things, problems with downshifting and energy recovery were responsible. “We recover a lot of energy when braking,” explains Alonso. “The rear axle charges the battery extremely strongly.”

At the same time, the driver has to coordinate numerous processes during gear changes. “Then these downshifts come into play, where you have to work with rev-matching to engage the next gear,” he explains. “A lot of things are happening simultaneously this year.”

According to the Spaniard, Aston Martin does not yet have these processes sufficiently under control. “It seems we are not yet at the required level.”

Aston Martin also struggles with understeer

In addition to the fundamental problems of the new car generation, Aston Martin apparently also faces internal team difficulties. Alonso reports massive understeer, which has not yet been eliminated despite various set-up adjustments. “We have chronic understeer,” complains the Spaniard.

The engineers have already tried various changes, but so far without the desired success. Therefore, the team plans further experiments overnight to improve the car’s balance for the rest of the weekend.

A look at the timesheet further illustrates the difficulties. Aston Martin was one of the slowest teams in the field on Friday, losing considerable time to the competition even on the mere 3.3-kilometer street circuit.

Particularly alarming: Even Cadillac was ahead of Aston Martin at the end of the day. The gap to the next-placed team, Racing Bulls, was more than half a second – an enormous difference on the shortest track on the Formula 1 calendar.

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