The Aston Martin driver slams the 2026 technical regulations, joining Max Verstappen in condemning artificial handling and excessive energy management that trade raw speed for digital complexity.
Lance Stroll has become the latest voice on the 2026 Formula 1 grid to register a serious objection to the sport's new technical regulations. The Aston Martin driver added his name to a list of discontented competitors that grows longer with every race weekend — and he did so in the most candid terms.
The criticism is far from new, but it continues to intensify. Drivers of the caliber of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have already spoken in blunt terms about the new driving experience, with both describing it as feeling "too artificial" relative to the standard they expect of a Formula 1 car.
Others, including Sergio Pérez, have joined them — some going so far as to compare the style of driving required by the 2026 machinery to navigating a video game, rather than operating a true racing car. The implication is pointed: the driver, they argue, has been partially removed from the equation.
Not everyone shares this view. George Russell and Carlos Sainz have adopted a more measured position, suggesting that those voicing complaints may be overstating the problem. In the paddock, there is a widely held belief that Mercedes' posture on the matter is not unrelated to their competitive situation: the Silver Arrows currently hold the performance advantage thanks to what many consider the most powerful and efficient engine in the 2026 field. Any significant regulatory revision carries the risk of narrowing that gap and bringing Ferrari and Red Bull back into genuine contention.
What did Lance Stroll say about the 2026 F1 cars?
Given the floor at the Miami Grand Prix, Stroll offered an opinion that was personal, vivid, and grounded in the kind of direct comparison that only a driver who has tested alternatives during the recent calendar break could make. His comments quickly spread across social media.
"All this half-throttle stuff and everything else is ruining the races and the qualifying laps. So hopefully it becomes a bit more normal to drive, and we don't have to think so much about all the management — the lift and coast, how much we're accelerating, all of that," he began.
"But I think we are still very far from having real F1 cars, and being able to put your foot down without thinking about the batteries and all of that. I think we are light-years from where we should be. We had some free time during the break. I was randomly watching old races and things like that. I even watched the classic Monaco ones on TV."
"And I heard some Ferraris from the early 2000s and how good they sounded, how small and nimble they were. I was watching footage from the early to mid-2000s — the V8 era, the V10 era — and then looking at how that compares to now. It came up on my phone and I was watching it."
"F1 isn't that much fun to drive. I tried other cars during the break. I tried some F3 cars, and it's a thousand times more fun and better to drive because with your right foot you give what you want and you get what you want. Even the weight of the car: between 550 and 650 kilos is much more enjoyable than over 750 or 800 kilos. Things like that make cars fun to drive. And then there's the sound and the noise."