Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I’m not that into Formula One, or indeed, any kind of car racing. It’s just not my thing. However, I know some people who are obsessed with it. They’re drawn to the idea of powerful machines being pushed to their absolute limits—a showcase of raw driving talent.
However, in an effort to save the planet from pollution, shed its image as a gas-guzzling sport, and position itself as a leader in green technology, F1 made a pivot in 2014. They forced manufacturers to swap the 2.4-litre V8 engines for 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid power units.
While the engines were certainly more efficient, many fans initially hated the change. The cars were deemed too quiet compared to the screaming V8s, leading to complaints that the "soul" of the sport had been lost. The ABC reported at the time: “Australian Grand Prix officials complain to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone that new V6 cars are too quiet.”
Obviously, if you were a die-hard fan, the idea of the sport becoming quiet is a bit like going to a heavy metal concert only to find they’ve swapped the electric guitars for acoustic ukuleles—you know, to save on the electricity bill. Because that’s exactly what the fans were demanding from their heavy metal rockers.
Anyway, over the last decade or so, despite the forced hybrid power units, the majority of the vehicle’s power still came from the internal combustion engine. This allowed the drivers to actually race—pushing the machines to their limits for the duration of a lap.
However, for the 2026 season, the powers that be decided the cars needed to save even more power to protect the environment, or whatever—because if Formula One doesn’t save the planet from humans, who will?
The new rules require 100% sustainable fuel, but more importantly, roughly half of the car’s total output must now come from its electric motor. This means drivers must carefully manage when their batteries deploy or when they must harvest energy through braking. This has caused a whole host of unintended consequences. The ABC ran the headline: “‘Just not Formula 1’: Verstappen says new cars aren’t fun to drive.”
The Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen, said:
“The proportion of the car looks good, that’s not the problem. It’s just everything else that is a bit anti-racing. Probably people will not be happy with me saying this, but I am outspoken and why am I not allowed to say what I think of my race car?”
Basically, he thinks the demands of energy management are gutting the spirit of the sport. Under these rules, cars have to recover energy by “lifting and coasting” on the straights. Engines can go from fully charged to empty several times in a single lap, meaning the cars don’t always have enough juice to stay at full speed. For some drivers, this is taking the category even further away from its roots. Verstappen continued:
“As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula One-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids… As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out. And at the moment, you cannot drive like that… For me, that’s just not Formula One.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris was even less forgiving. He said:
“We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula One—and the nicest to drive—to probably the worst. It sucks. Everyone knows what the issues are. It’s just the fact the engine is a 50-50 split and it just doesn’t work.”
But you’re saving the planet, Lando—one unforgiving, miserable lap at a time.
He also highlighted the genuine dangers of these new rules, specifically the massive variation in closing speeds. You’ll have some drivers slowing down mid-straight to charge their batteries while others behind them are using maximum electrical power in the new “overtake mode.” As the Guardian reported: “‘We are going to have a big accident’: Lando Norris warns new F1 rules pose danger.”
Well, it turns out that when the drivers are fed up and the fans are walking away, the F1 leadership actually listens. The ABC reported yesterday: “Formula 1’s electrical revolution is losing its spark and V8 power could return.”
The president of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said that he wants big, noisy, traditional V8 engines back by 2030. He said:
“You get the sound, you get less complexity and then you’ve got the lighter weight. You hit all the boxes. You will hear about it very soon, and it will be with very, very minor electrification, but the main one will be the engine.”
Well, I think if safety is on the line, the fans love the roar of the V8s, and sustainable fuel can be used so there’s no real environmental concern, then everyone wins. Drivers can go back to driving flat out, and the sport gets its soul back. It’s a win-win—though I guess the people pushing to force everyone into all-electric vehicles won’t be particularly happy about it.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
I’m not that into Formula One, or indeed, any kind of car racing. It’s just not my thing. However, I know some people who are obsessed with it. They’re drawn to the idea of powerful machines being pushed to their absolute limits—a showcase of raw driving talent.
However, in an effort to save the planet from pollution, shed its image as a gas-guzzling sport, and position itself as a leader in green technology, F1 made a pivot in 2014. They forced manufacturers to swap the 2.4-litre V8 engines for 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid power units.
While the engines were certainly more efficient, many fans initially hated the change. The cars were deemed too quiet compared to the screaming V8s, leading to complaints that the "soul" of the sport had been lost. The ABC reported at the time: “Australian Grand Prix officials complain to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone that new V6 cars are too quiet.”
Obviously, if you were a die-hard fan, the idea of the sport becoming quiet is a bit like going to a heavy metal concert only to find they’ve swapped the electric guitars for acoustic ukuleles—you know, to save on the electricity bill. Because that’s exactly what the fans were demanding from their heavy metal rockers.
Anyway, over the last decade or so, despite the forced hybrid power units, the majority of the vehicle’s power still came from the internal combustion engine. This allowed the drivers to actually race—pushing the machines to their limits for the duration of a lap.
However, for the 2026 season, the powers that be decided the cars needed to save even more power to protect the environment, or whatever—because if Formula One doesn’t save the planet from humans, who will?
The new rules require 100% sustainable fuel, but more importantly, roughly half of the car’s total output must now come from its electric motor. This means drivers must carefully manage when their batteries deploy or when they must harvest energy through braking. This has caused a whole host of unintended consequences. The ABC ran the headline: “‘Just not Formula 1’: Verstappen says new cars aren’t fun to drive.”
The Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen, said:
“The proportion of the car looks good, that’s not the problem. It’s just everything else that is a bit anti-racing. Probably people will not be happy with me saying this, but I am outspoken and why am I not allowed to say what I think of my race car?”
Basically, he thinks the demands of energy management are gutting the spirit of the sport. Under these rules, cars have to recover energy by “lifting and coasting” on the straights. Engines can go from fully charged to empty several times in a single lap, meaning the cars don’t always have enough juice to stay at full speed. For some drivers, this is taking the category even further away from its roots. Verstappen continued:
“As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula One-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids… As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out. And at the moment, you cannot drive like that… For me, that’s just not Formula One.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris was even less forgiving. He said:
“We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula One—and the nicest to drive—to probably the worst. It sucks. Everyone knows what the issues are. It’s just the fact the engine is a 50-50 split and it just doesn’t work.”
But you’re saving the planet, Lando—one unforgiving, miserable lap at a time.
He also highlighted the genuine dangers of these new rules, specifically the massive variation in closing speeds. You’ll have some drivers slowing down mid-straight to charge their batteries while others behind them are using maximum electrical power in the new “overtake mode.” As the Guardian reported: “‘We are going to have a big accident’: Lando Norris warns new F1 rules pose danger.”
Well, it turns out that when the drivers are fed up and the fans are walking away, the F1 leadership actually listens. The ABC reported yesterday: “Formula 1’s electrical revolution is losing its spark and V8 power could return.”
The president of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said that he wants big, noisy, traditional V8 engines back by 2030. He said:
“You get the sound, you get less complexity and then you’ve got the lighter weight. You hit all the boxes. You will hear about it very soon, and it will be with very, very minor electrification, but the main one will be the engine.”
Well, I think if safety is on the line, the fans love the roar of the V8s, and sustainable fuel can be used so there’s no real environmental concern, then everyone wins. Drivers can go back to driving flat out, and the sport gets its soul back. It’s a win-win—though I guess the people pushing to force everyone into all-electric vehicles won’t be particularly happy about it.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
