Fernando Alonso launches fresh F1 attack ahead of Belgian Grand Prix: 'Less power than F2'

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso launches fresh F1 attack ahead of Belgian Grand Prix: 'Less power than F2'

Fernando Alonso has had a difficult start to the year

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 13 July 2026 08:14 Updated: 09:33

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Two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has issued fresh criticism about F1's new regulations ahead of next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard has not been the most complimentary about the new rules which swept into the sport at the start of 2026, with the extra emphasis on electrical energy meaning that drivers have to manage their battery capacity more cautiously.

It hasn't helped that Alonso's Aston Martin team have been running right at the back of the pack, with the outfit struggling with both reliability and performance concerns.

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It's meant that Alonso has only managed to pick up one championship point across the first nine grand prix weekends of the season, and he has struggled to finish many sessions so far in 2026.

Now, Alonso has admitted that the upcoming Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps could be a tough watch for F1 fans, with the demanding nature of the circuit potentially meaning that battery deployment is all used up by the time drivers get to sector two.

That has led to Alonso describing that particular scenario as a 'challenge', citing that F1 cars without the deployment this year are like F2 cars.

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"Silverstone and Spa, they are very thirsty on energy," Alonso told media ahead of the British GP. "You cannot deploy in all the straights.

"Next week, it is going to be the same thing. If you deploy in Spa from turn one [La Source] to five [Les Combes], it is finito for the rest of the lap.

"So, you need to save a little bit there to have deployment from turn 14 [Stavelot] to the Bus Stop [Turns 18 and 19]. But if you deploy in those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is one minute, sector two, with no deployment at all.

"And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2. That is the case when you cut the deployment. So, yes, it is a challenge."

Alonso is not the only one to be concerned by that potential scenario. Ferrari are reportedly set to bring a new upgrade to their exhaust for the Belgian GP weekend which will decrease downforce, but give them an extra seven horsepower at a circuit which is known for its high-speed corners.

F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso 2026 regulations Belgian Grand Prix