Alonso sees the premier class in danger: less freedom for drivers, more automation—and 2026 regulations that pose major risks
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso criticizes Formula 1 as “a little too automated” and fears that this will not improve under the new 2026 technical regulations.
On the sidelines of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Alonso said: “We’ll have to wait and see how the cars behave next year and whether they are difficult or easy to drive. But yes, I miss the days when we had more freedom in the cockpit.”
By “freedom,” Alonso means the ability to change parameters himself and directly influence the car’s performance. He explains: “In the past, we could play around with the engine speeds a bit. We had maximum power on certain laps during the weekend.”
When Formula 1 first experimented with hybrid systems
Alonso therefore fondly remembers the 2009 Formula 1 season and the introduction of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) as the first hybrid component in Grand Prix racing. It was not until years later that the entire field switched to KERS – from 2013 onwards, before it was replaced by a new energy recovery system in 2014.
But according to Alonso, there was a special magic inherent in the beginning: “We were free to call up six seconds of hybrid power whenever we wanted. We didn’t always use it at the same optimal points – that was only the case in qualifying. In the race, you then played different strategies to be able to overtake or defend yourself against the cars behind you,” says Alonso.
The Spanish racing driver not only seems melancholic, he even confirms: “I miss those days. And I don’t know if we’ll get any of that back next year.”
What effect does active aerodynamics have?
Alonso is particularly uncertain about the DRS successor: it remains to be seen exactly how active aerodynamics with “X mode” and “Y mode” will change Formula 1. Alonso: “The car is automatically in one state or the other, and the energy is used more or less in the same way as this year.”
“So yes: I still miss a bit of freedom—or rather, more freedom—for the drivers.“ From Alonso’s point of view, this is not the case with the new Formula 1 regulations—but he is very concerned that it could be ‘embarrassing’ for the ”premier class.” However, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is trying to allay these concerns.