Cautious Hamilton believes 2026 cars could potentially be a 'massive challenge'

14:33, 18 Dec

byOlly Darcy

A cautious Lewis Hamilton believes that the brand-new Formula 1 machines for 2026 could potentially be a "massive challenge" to drive.

"I don't want to dog it. I don't want to say too many negative things. It feels so much different, and I'm not sure you're going to like it."

- Lewis Hamilton

The pinnacle of motorsport is set to move on from the ground-effect era as focus now shifts onto a major regulation overhaul for the upcoming campaign.

The sweeping regulatory overhaul is one of the most radical seen in F1, with power units undergoing radical change, DRS replaced by active aerodynamics, and cars cutting down in size and weight.

There have been conflicting reports about the new machines that will grace the grid in 2026, with Hamilton unsure about how the new regulations would fare.

Lewis Hamilton struggled throughout the ground-effect era in Formula 1, highlighted by only finishing P6 in the drivers' standings in 2025 - Photo: RacePictures

"I think it's really, really hard to predict what it's going to be like," Hamilton started by saying to GPblog and others in Abu Dhabi.

"I don't want to dog it. I don't want to say too many negative things. It feels so much different, and I'm not sure you're going to like it. But maybe I'll be surprised, and maybe it'll be amazing. Maybe overtaking will be incredible. Maybe it'll be easier to overtake, I don't know.

"But it is a massive challenge for us all, and I think that's really what the sport's really about, right? It's about continuously challenging ourselves. If we just did the same thing all the time, then it would be easy."

F1 releases images of 2026 machines

There has been plenty of talk surrounding the new machines, exacerbated by Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff claiming that these cars could possibly reach speeds of 400 km/h.

On Tuesday, Formula 1 shared images showcasing the 2026 car, while GPblog's F1 Tech writer, Francesco Bianchi, delved into the changes.

"We have less downforce, more torque. Driving in the rain, I can imagine, would be very, very, very tough, much harder than it is already with what we have today," continued Hamilton.

"But as I said, we might arrive, and we might have better grip than we anticipated. Whether you like the fact that we're downshifting at the end of a straight and different boost parameters, different driving."

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