Esteban Ocon says that Formula 1 in 2026 will be so different that drivers must “forget everything learned since karting.”
He believes the major rule changes for the 2026 season will make the cars and racing feel very new, requiring drivers to adapt their skills and approach from scratch.
Ocon says this reset means past experience may not be as useful as before because the cars’ behaviour, power units, tyres and aerodynamics will all change significantly under the new regulations.
He expects that the shift will force teams and drivers into a fresh learning process as they discover how to extract performance in the new era of F1.