What the 2026 F1 cars are like – according to the drivers

The Barcelona Shakedown offered a first chance for the teams and drivers to put some mileage in at the wheel of their 2026 challengers, ahead of a season in which a wave of new technical regulations come into effect.

With this meaning that the new-look cars have a range of different features – making them shorter, narrower, lighter and nimbler – as well there being new power unit rules, the drivers had plenty to digest as they reflected on their first laps.

So what are the 2026 cars like, according to the drivers? Well, let’s get the verdicts of some of them…

‘Fun to drive’ and ‘more powerful’

First we go to reigning World Champion Lando Norris, who explained to a select group of media including F1.com in the days after the Barcelona Shakedown that the new machine is “fun to drive”.

“They’re good fun, because it’s more power and less grip to a certain extent,” said Norris. “Which means you’re hustling, you’re having to control the car a bit more, fight the car at times more.”

The McLaren racer also suggested that the car “certainly feels more powerful and quicker”, while he believes that the changes will result in “more racing” and “different strategies”.

“You’ll see more yo-yoing, more moves with extra speed. But then that person might have to defend more than what you’ve seen in the past and that will create more chaos, which is great for you guys,” Norris explained.

Team mate Oscar Piastri also shared his thoughts, with the Australian enjoying the opportunity to finally experience the MCL40 in Barcelona and discover that there are “challenges but not as alien as we might have feared”.

Reflecting on his first impressions after driving the car, Piastri explained: “Some things are a little bit different – the engine sound in the car was a little bit different, so that’s probably the first thing to get used to.

“And then just how the power is used – when you’re at full power out of a corner, you’ve got a lot of power, more than we had last year, and less downforce, less actual tyre surface on the track because they’re narrower. You’ve got a lot of power and less grip.”

Piastri believes that the new generation of cars are “just as impressive”, adding: “There will be some differences, but I think fundamentally they’re still the fastest cars in the world.”

An ‘exciting time’ for F1

Over at Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton was left with a positive impression following his time at the wheel of the SF-26 in Barcelona.

“In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years,” the seven-time World Champion said at the end of the shakedown.

“The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive – it’s oversteery, it’s snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch and I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

On the other side of the garage, Charles Leclerc suggested that the challenge posed by the new cars is one that brings excitement.

“It’s an exciting time for Formula 1, where there’s so much change that we’ve got to adapt as drivers, we’ve got to adapt as teams and try and find ways to maximise what is now our new package, and especially with this energy management that is so much more important compared to the past,” the Monegasque said.

George Russell has been left impressed by the power that the new engines provide, with the Mercedes driver commenting early on at the Barcelona Shakedown: “There was obviously a lot of anticipation for these new power units, and so far, just generally on the whole, the amount of power they give is pretty impressive.

“I think for all the cars I was watching today, with all the different power units, it’s probably the quickest I’ve ever seen an F1 car pass here in Barcelona, so that was pretty exciting to see.

“And the cars, you feel it being smaller, you can feel that weight reduction compared to previous years, so I think from that aspect as well it’s gone in a good direction.”

‘Super interesting’ options for the driver

Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, feels that the new machines offer some interesting variety in terms of set-up options.

“It’s fun to drive,” the Italian reflected. “Obviously the car being a bit smaller, you feel it – it’s more agile, especially in changes of direction and in slow-speed corners which is a nice feeling, plus we don’t have bouncing anymore which is another good thing, so you don’t have to run the car as low and you have a bit more room to play with ride heights.

“You have a bit more room to play with the set-up, to play with the car, which is super nice and super interesting as well as a driver, to also understand what compromises you can find set-up-wise.”

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar echoed that sentiment, having suggested that it is “easier to play around” with the 2026 cars and that “also on the PU side, there’s a lot more options for the driver to play with”.

Similarly, Arvid Lindblad – the rookie who has replaced Hadjar at Racing Bulls – has already been thinking about the areas in which he can make a difference as a driver.

“I’m enjoying it,” Lindblad said of getting used to the 2026 car. “Obviously it’s very different to drive, so it’s exciting and it’s fun also obviously to drive in F1 but you feel it’s different.

“[I’m] thinking about, ‘how can I make a difference, how can I get the best out of all the different parts of the car’, because it is different to drive. But it’s a journey for all of us because it is very different to what was there last year, so we’re all learning together. I’m enjoying the start of this journey.”

Ollie Bearman also took a similar view, the Haas racer commenting: “It’s good fun. It’s my first time being in this situation with a regulation change where, as drivers, we can have so much impact on the end result, so it’s a great prospect.”