Carlos Sainz queries F1's support of 2026 rules after…

Carlos Sainz has delivered a withering assessment of the 2026 Formula 1 cars' performances at the Belgian Grand Prix, questioning how the rules could be accepted as-is from the simulations first produced a few seasons back.

Complaints about the energy management aspect of the current cars have not been in short supply over the season thus far. While the level of dissent had calmed a bit in the wake of the changes made to the deployment rules in Miami, the most recent races at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps have exposed some of the regulations' biggest limitations.

The wealth of medium-high speed corners and longer straights across both circuits has given the cars a paucity of options to charge their batteries. Although the worst of lift-and-coast tactics has been dispensed with, thanks to changes in electrical power output and the increase in scope of superclipping, the cars are still deigned to run out of energy at the end of acceleration zones.

This is particularly evident at the end of Blanchimont, where the cars are losing around 50km/h simply due to the loss of electrical power from the MGU-K. In comparing Lando Norris' pole lap from last season to KImi Antonelli's lap from 2026, the cars are also as much as 40km/h down through Pouhon as teams avoid deploying through the high-speed double-left. Norris had a small lift here to get the car into the corner last year; it is now flat at lower speeds.

Sainz admitted that he was cautious of "belittling my own sport" with further complaints, but nonetheless continued to question the technical framework of the regulations detailed around four years ago.

"I think no one out there is enjoying the qualifying lap as much as we did last year," Sainz stated. "I think it's clear that we've lost quite a bit with these cars around Spa.

"Having said that, I don't want to keep belittling my own sport because it's not going to do any good. I think we all know this is not good enough.

Carlos Sainz, Williams (Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images)

"That needs to change. It will change. It will evolve. But yeah, hopefully next year is a step better and the year after another step better."

"But what I say is, whoever saw these simulations in 2022, 2023 and look at it and say, how can we even accept that? It needs to review what happened there because it should have never happened.

"But now we're here, we're having some exciting races, the sport is still growing, so time to move on."

The Spaniard expected a "sketchy" opening lap to the race, particularly with the use of active aerodynamics along the Kemmel Straight at close quarters with the other cars.

He felt that it wouldn't necessarily be easy to make up places on the first lap, where he starts 14th alongside the penalty-hit Norris - who went third-fastest in qualifying.

"It's going to be tricky," added Sainz. "I think it's going to be a big challenge. I think lap one also is going to be sketchy going up Eau Rouge and SLM [Straight Line Mode] and everything going on up there.

"But let's see. Try and be awake, try and be smart and play your cards. Let's see."

When Sainz's comments were put to Lewis Hamilton, he agreed - adding that the teams and drivers had seen the issues coming "straight away".

"I mean it's just not good on the straights, but through the corners the cars are great. It's just that in the straight line it's not very nice," Hamilton mused.

"I'm pretty sure we saw it straight away. I don't know who made the decision, but whoever it is, they've still got their job."

Additional reporting by Filip Cleeren.