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F1 chief brands new 2026 cars a 'waste' and in danger of 'steep decline'

Kerry Violet Friday 27 February 2026 11:55

Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has joined the growing list of names who aren't buying into the idea of the new F1 cars.

From 2026, F1 will look very different as the chassis and power unit regulations get a complete overhaul, with an increased focus on the electrical energy output.

The latest F1 regulations cycle has introduced an almost 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the 350kW electrical MGU-K system, after the MGU-H was removed altogether.

But this is a decision that hasn't gone down well with everyone, including Alpine's executive advisor, Briatore.

The Italian businessman was quoted by Motorsport.com as saying: "The complex energy management of the new generation of cars is putting F1 at risk of a steep decline.

"This is simply a waste of engineering effort and will not be understood by the fans."

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The Alpine chief is hardly shy about his opinions, even recently telling the Netflix Drive to Survive cameras that he ‘enjoys firing people’.

And when it comes to F1’s regulations reset, which clearly favours a move towards using electrical energy, Briatore has made it clear that he is not on board.

When asked whether the new system might be too complex for fans to grasp, the 75-year-old replied: "I think so. The fans only understand 20 per cent of it anyway."

"At the very least, they ought to explain what's going on," he continued, before adding: "For the drivers, this has become an entirely different game."

So what have the drivers themselves said about the new cars? Well not all of them are feeling optimistic about the new machinery on the eve of a new season either.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen described the experience of piloting the 2026 cars as like 'Formula E on steroids', later doubling down on his point by admitting the new era is his 'least favourite' due to the amount of management required to race them thanks to the new regulations.