Lewis Hamilton fears F1 future after Michael Schumacher comparison

Lewis Hamilton has said that he believes Formula 1 is heading in the wrong direction with its upcoming rule changes.

New regulations are coming to the sport in 2026, with an increased reliance on electrical power, as well as new chassis rules that will make cars lighter, smaller and more environmentally friendly.

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However, Hamilton is worried about the lack of noise coming from the current V6 power units, something that is likely to decrease further with the 2026 regulation changes.

The seven-time champion also believes that cars are currently too heavy, suggesting he has been struggling with the current generation of F1 cars.

"I don’t think it’s going in the right direction personally, but maybe I’ll be surprised next year, maybe we’ll arrive and the cars are really nice," the 40-year-old told Sky Sports F1.

"The direction we’re going, we’re going slower, the cars are getting heavier. Next year the cars are getting lighter, but this generation of cars are the heaviest I’ve ever raced in.

"I miss the sound, and when you hear a V12 Ferrari it’s like ‘argh’, it’s the passion," he continued, going on to reminisce about fellow seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari days.

"As soon as we started with V6’s, and whilst it’s a good direction to go in for the world in terms of sustainability I think it’s been positive in that respect, but you can’t get away from the fact that the sound is not the same as when you watch Michael Schumacher’s car from 2003 come past."

Hamilton follows in Schumacher's footsteps

Hamilton's Ferrari career has got off to a spluttering start, but there are signs that the partnership is beginning to click, with the Brit claiming a fourth-place finish in Imola, and appearing much more upbeat about his relationships with key members of the team.

He wants to challenge for an unprecedented eighth world championship, something that Schumacher was not able to achieve, and has joined the team with whom Schumacher achieved so much.

Given his age, it's highly unlikely that Hamilton will match Schumacher's stunning Ferrari record of five championships with the Scuderia, but the Brit is arguably the team's biggest-name signing since then, and he is looking to propel the most successful team in history to their first championship since 2008.

Whatever his thoughts about the 2026 changes, Hamilton will hope that Ferrari can jump ahead of their competitors, with a potential shakeup in the competitive order in the pipeline.

Hamilton is not the only key F1 figure to voice concerns about the lack of noise coming from modern-day F1 cars. A proposal backed by Christian Horner to scrap new rules by 2028 and instead replace it with plans to revert to sustainable fuel-powered V10s was recently dismissed by the powers that be, but that could still be on the table for 2030.

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