Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Lewis Hamilton defended Formula 1’s new power unit regulations following the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit. The Ferrari driver praised the racing under the new rules, in contrast to the continued criticism from Max Verstappen.
Hamilton secured his first podium with Ferrari after defeating team-mate Charles Leclerc in a mid-race battle. The seven-time world champion briefly challenged for the lead during the opening laps, but the Mercedes duo of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell proved too strong throughout the race.
Debate surrounding the new power unit regulations intensified again after the second round of the 2026 season. Verstappen has been among the most outspoken critics of the rules, previously warning that the new regulations could harm the sport.
The Red Bull Racing driver endured a difficult race in Shanghai. A poor start dropped him to 16th place early on, but he fought his way back into contention and was running sixth before retiring late in the race due to a technical issue with his car.
Hamilton, however, offered a more positive assessment of the regulations, highlighting how the aerodynamic characteristics of the current cars allow drivers to follow each other more closely without suffering excessive downforce loss.
“Yeah, the cars are easier to follow, much better than past years. You can get very close. There’s not a bad wake where you’re losing too much downforce,” Hamilton explained.
The Ferrari driver even described the on-track battles under the new regulations as some of the best he has experienced in his Formula 1 career.
“I think it’s the best racing that I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1. Of course, these guys are pulling past us at crazy speeds, but to be able to all be so close… It’s great that we have a good start at the moment and hopefully that stays the same through the year.”
Hamilton acknowledged that the revised power unit concept has also created performance differences in straight-line speed, something teams must now work to optimize.
“Given that they’ve gone for a different option where they have more power, we’ve got to figure out how we can improve our straight-line speed. But hopefully it was an exciting race to watch because it felt awesome inside the car.”
He also compared the close racing to karting due to the intensity of wheel-to-wheel battles.
“It felt like go-karting, back and forth, and you could really position your car where sometimes there was only a thin piece of paper between us, but we didn’t exchange any paint. That comes down to great drivers and mutual respect.”
The contrasting views from Hamilton and Verstappen highlight an ongoing debate in the Formula 1 paddock regarding the effectiveness of the 2026 technical regulations. As more races are completed and teams gather additional data, the discussion around the long-term impact of the rules is expected to continue throughout the season.
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