Lewis Hamilton has voiced his strong opposition to Formula 1's plan to shorten race distances starting in 2027, calling the decision "makes absolutely no sense to me." The seven-time world champion believes the sport should be moving in the opposite direction.
F1 announced earlier this week that the maximum race distance for grands prix will be reduced by 15km from 305km to 290km for the 2027 season, equating to two or three laps depending on the circuit. The reduction is driven by the changing power split between internal combustion and electrical power, which shifts from 53-47 this year to 58-42 next year, before going to 60-40 in 2028. With more electrical power, cars will use more fuel to complete the same distance, so the measure aims to avoid teams needing larger fuel tanks and incurring extra costs.
However, Hamilton questioned the logic behind the move. "I don't really know anything about it or any of the reasons they put it up behind it," he told reporters in Baku ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. "I think the races should be longer because the races are physically easier than ever before. So shortening, I don't think, makes much sense."
The seven-time champion added that current tyres can easily go the race distance, often leading to one-stop races. "If you think about this weekend, we have the C3, 4, 5 that can pretty much all do the race distance. So we have a lot of races where it's only a one stop. It's not particularly challenging," he explained. "For me, there's been many races where I wish we had more laps. It's the opposite that I would be asking for, which is longer races, to be honest."
Hamilton also stressed that the sport should be the most physically and mentally demanding. "This is supposed to be the sport that's the most physically demanding and mentally, but there are some that are just so hot and, ultimately, you are on the edge," he said. "Singapore is incredibly hot and demanding. Malaysia will be crazy this year. But that's where I think you wanna see athletes just right on the edge. Right? Right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further because that's what this sport is about, pushing the levels and pushing the boundaries. So shortening the races makes absolutely no sense to me."
Meanwhile, his Mercedes teammate George Russell downplayed the impact of the rule change. "Slightly earlier bath on Sunday afternoon, I guess," Russell joked. "I think some races you'll be thankful. Singapore, when it's an hour and 50 to two hours long, it does feel too long. Then some races like Monza, that's only an hour and 15 minutes, feel a little bit short. But it doesn't change a lot."
Hamilton's comments highlight the broader debate about Formula 1's direction in the new 2026 engine era. While the shorter races are intended to control costs, fans and drivers may hope that races remain physically challenging. As an icon of the sport, Lewis Hamilton has consistently advocated for maintaining race intensity. Meanwhile, Russell's more pragmatic view reflects the reality that not all circuits suit a uniform race duration. One thing is clear: this decision will continue to be a talking point until 2027 arrives.
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