Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula 1 world champion, says modern F1 has become too focused on managing technical rules and energy systems, which he believes takes away some of the pure driving enjoyment that fans and drivers felt in earlier eras. He thinks the sport has moved away from the lighter, faster cars with loud engines that he associates with F1’s “peak DNA,” and now requires more thinking about strategy and energy than simply racing flat out.
Alonso explained that under the new 2026 rules, drivers must pay much more attention to energy management and hybrid systems, even during qualifying, which makes the experience feel more like a technical challenge than raw racing. He suggested that while the sport may never return to how it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, drivers and teams will adapt over time.
He also compared the evolution of F1 to changes seen in other sports, saying that many competitive activities today prioritize structure and systems over spontaneous moments of skill and joy, and that can reduce the instant thrill of competition for drivers and fans alike.