Martin Brundle has ‘tear in his eye’ after first half of 2026 F1 season
Martin Brundle has ‘tear in his eye’ after first half of 2026 F1 season
Kieran JacksonThu, August 6, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC
0
Martin Brundle says F1 must get rid of the current concept of car for the next engine cycle (Getty)
Martin Brundle stated he had a “tear in his eye” when discussing the 2026 F1 season – and the impact the much-maligned new generation of cars have had on the sport.
New engine and chassis regulations this year, which see an almost 50/50 split between the internal combustion engine and electrical power, have been highly criticised by the majority of the grid. The cars are also lighter, smaller, use active aerodynamics and devices such as ‘Boost Mode’ and ‘Overtake Mode.’
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has been the most vociferous critic, labelling the cars “like Formula E on steroids.” In particular, recent on-board camera shots and speedometers showing cars having to “lift and coast” at the end of iconic straights at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps have been damned by fans on social media.
And ex-F1 racer Brundle, one of the sport’s predominant pundits for the last three decades, spoke passionately about the new generation of cars, insisting the sport must reverse course ahead of the next engine cycle in 2031.
“I think they’re all struggling to really fully understand it, to be honest,” Brundle said of the rules, while on Sky Sports punditry duties at the Belgian Grand Prix last month.
Advertisement
“I’ve got a bit of a tear in my eye because we’ve lost all the great corners at Silverstone, and here we are at Spa with the same situation.
“These new regulations hurt us on the high-speed circuits. We’re doing something about it for ’27 and ’28, and we have to get rid of this concept as soon as possible in 2030 or 2031.
“That aside, this is what we’ve got. When I’m out on track on a Friday, wow they look fast. And when they’re side by side and ducking and diving, it looks a lot of fun to watch.
“But for now, they’ve got to get on top of the complexities, and there are a lot of them.”
The next race of the 2026 season is the Dutch Grand Prix on 23 August, the final iteration of the popular Zandvoort event.
Source: “AOL Sports”
