F1 legend slams ‘ridiculous’ new rules confusing fans and drivers
The seven-time world champion believes the sport’s latest regulations require a degree to understand.
Lewis Hamilton has criticised Formula 1’s new engine regulations, claiming fans will fail to understand the “ridiculously complex” energy management systems introduced this season.
The Ferrari driver voiced his concerns following the first morning of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
He was referring specifically to the increased reliance on energy management required by the new power units.
These engines now feature a near 50-50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electrical components.
“I sat in a meeting the other day and they’re taking us through it,” Hamilton said.
“And yeah, it’s like you need a degree to fully understand it all.”
‘Not what racing is about’
The regulations have created a scenario where engines are often energy-starved, forcing teams to prioritise recovery over raw pace.
This has resulted in counter-intuitive driving styles, including backing off on straights and avoiding full throttle exiting corners.
“If you look at Barcelona, for example, we’re doing 600 metres lift and coast on a qualifying lap,” the 39-year-old revealed.
“That’s not what racing is about. Here [in Bahrain], we’re not having to do that because there’s lots of braking zones.”
Drivers are now required to utilize unusually low gears to facilitate energy harvesting.
“The low gears that we have to go down into is just because we can’t recover enough battery power,” the Briton explained.
“So that’s why we have to go and rev the engines very, very, very high. We’re going down to second and first in some places just to try to recover that extra bit of power.”
A technical minefield
The confusion stems from four distinct methods of energy recovery that drivers must now master.
These technical requirements include:
- Regenerative braking: Recovering energy while slowing for a corner.
- Part-throttle overload: Harvesting power when the driver is not at full throttle.
- Lift and coast: Lifting off early to let the electric motor run against the engine.
- ‘Superclip’: Diverting energy to the battery even while at full throttle on straights.
These systems are further complicated by the ‘boost’ button, which facilitates overtaking but leaves the car vulnerable on subsequent straights.
Hamilton’s comments come as teams are just beginning to understand the limits of their new machinery.
While the strategies appear extreme, techniques such as lift and coast were also utilised under the previous engine regulations.