What the 2026 F1 automobiles are like – based on the drivers

The Barcelona Shakedown supplied a primary probability for the groups and drivers to place some mileage in on the wheel of their 2026 challengers, forward of a season during which a wave of latest technical rules come into impact.

With this that means that the new-look automobiles have a variety of various options – making them shorter, narrower, lighter and nimbler – as nicely there being new energy unit guidelines, the drivers had loads to digest as they mirrored on their first laps.

So what are the 2026 automobiles like, based on the drivers? Well, let’s get the verdicts of a few of them…

‘Fun to drive’ and ‘more powerful’

First we go to reigning World Champion Lando Norris, who defined to a choose group of media together with F1.com within the days after the Barcelona Shakedown that the brand new machine is “fun to drive”.

“They’re good fun, because it’s more power and less grip to a certain extent,” mentioned Norris. “Which means you’re hustling, you’re having to control the car a bit more, fight the car at times more.”

The McLaren racer additionally urged that the automobile “certainly feels more powerful and quicker”, while he believes that the changes will result in “more racing” and “different strategies”.

“You’ll see more yo-yoing, more moves with extra speed. But then that person might have to defend more than what you’ve seen in the past and that will create more chaos, which is great for you guys,” Norris defined.

Team mate Oscar Piastri additionally shared his ideas, with the Australian having fun with the chance to lastly expertise the MCL40 in Barcelona and uncover that there are “challenges but not as alien as we might have feared”.

Reflecting on his first impressions after driving the automobile, Piastri defined: “Some issues are a little bit bit completely different – the engine sound within the automobile was a little bit bit completely different, in order that’s most likely the very first thing to get used to.

“And then just how the power is used – when you’re at full power out of a corner, you’ve got a lot of power, more than we had last year, and less downforce, less actual tyre surface on the track because they’re narrower. You’ve got a lot of power and less grip.”

Piastri believes that the brand new era of automobiles are “just as impressive”, including: “There will be some differences, but I think fundamentally they’re still the fastest cars in the world.”

An ‘exciting time’ for F1

Over at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton was left with a optimistic impression following his time on the wheel of the SF-26 in Barcelona.

“In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years,” the seven-time World Champion mentioned on the finish of the shakedown.

“The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive – it’s oversteery, it’s snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch and I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

On the opposite facet of the storage, Charles Leclerc urged that the problem posed by the brand new automobiles is one which brings pleasure.

“It’s an exciting time for Formula 1, where there’s so much change that we’ve got to adapt as drivers, we’ve got to adapt as teams and try and find ways to maximise what is now our new package, and especially with this energy management that is so much more important compared to the past,” the Monegasque mentioned.

George Russell has been left impressed by the ability that the brand new engines present, with the Mercedes driver commenting early on on the Barcelona Shakedown: “There was clearly quite a lot of anticipation for these new energy items, and to this point, simply typically on the entire, the quantity of energy they offer is fairly spectacular.

“I believe for all of the automobiles I used to be watching at the moment, with all of the completely different energy items, it’s most likely the quickest I’ve ever seen an F1 automobile move right here in Barcelona, in order that was fairly thrilling to see.

“And the cars, you feel it being smaller, you can feel that weight reduction compared to previous years, so I think from that aspect as well it’s gone in a good direction.”

‘Super interesting’ choices for the motive force

Kimi Antonelli, in the meantime, feels that the brand new machines supply some fascinating selection when it comes to set-up choices.

“It’s fun to drive,” the Italian mirrored. “Obviously the automobile being a bit smaller, you are feeling it – it’s extra agile, particularly in modifications of path and in slow-speed corners which is a pleasant feeling, plus we don’t have bouncing anymore which is one other good factor, so that you don’t must run the automobile as low and you’ve got a bit extra room to play with experience heights.

“You have a bit more room to play with the set-up, to play with the car, which is super nice and super interesting as well as a driver, to also understand what compromises you can find set-up-wise.”

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar echoed that sentiment, having urged that it’s “easier to play around” with the 2026 automobiles and that “also on the PU side, there’s a lot more options for the driver to play with”.

Similarly, Arvid Lindblad – the rookie who has changed Hadjar at Racing Bulls – has already been serious about the areas during which he could make a distinction as a driver.

“I’m enjoying it,” Lindblad mentioned of getting used to the 2026 automobile. “Obviously it’s very completely different to drive, so it’s thrilling and it’s enjoyable additionally clearly to drive in F1 however you are feeling it’s completely different.

“[I’m] thinking about, ‘how can I make a difference, how can I get the best out of all the different parts of the car’, because it is different to drive. But it’s a journey for all of us because it is very different to what was there last year, so we’re all learning together. I’m enjoying the start of this journey.”

Ollie Bearman additionally took an analogous view, the Haas racer commenting: “It’s good fun. It’s my first time being in this situation with a regulation change where, as drivers, we can have so much impact on the end result, so it’s a great prospect.”