Fernando Alonso has delivered one of his sharpest verdicts yet on Formula 1’s hybrid era, claiming modern regulations have cost Grand Prix racing nearly an entire decade of its soul.
As the sport edges toward another adjustment to its controversial power unit formula for 2027, Alonso made it abundantly clear that he sees the planned 60-40 split between combustion and electric power as little more than cosmetic surgery on a much deeper problem.
Following concerns from teams and drivers over the current regulations, Formula 1 and the FIA are preparing to rebalance the engines next season, reducing electric deployment while giving greater emphasis back to the internal combustion engine.
But Alonso believes the underlying DNA of the hybrid era remains fundamentally flawed.
“The DNA of these power units will always be the same. And it will always reward going slow in the corners. I don’t think [it will fundamentally change things],” he told reporters in Montreal on Thursday.
For Alonso, the issue is not whether the sport tweaks the numbers slightly – it is that Formula 1 moved too aggressively toward electrification in the first place.
"I mean, they always listen. The thing is that the world went or thought to go into the [direction of] electrification, that was thought to be the future. But that doesn't apply to racing. Racing is a different animal,” he added.
"Now, we go a little bit back to the 60-40, and then in the future to less and less. Unfortunately, we had this period from 2014 with the turbo era, and now even more, that we lost nearly one decade or even more of pure racing."
The comments amount to a brutal assessment of Formula 1’s modern identity from one of the grid’s most experienced drivers – and a direct challenge to the philosophy that has shaped the sport since the turbo-hybrid revolution began in 2014.
Overtaking is no longer ‘real’ racing
While the current regulations have undeniably increased overtaking numbers, Alonso suggested much of today’s wheel-to-wheel action lacks authenticity.
Asked about overtaking opportunities around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Alonso dismissed the idea that modern passing requires much driver artistry at all.
"On the straights, when you have more battery than the others, it will be very easy. And it will not be overtaking, it's just an avoiding action,” he added.
"When you have more battery than the others, the other ones clip, so they reduce 500 horsepower. Then you have 500 horsepower more than the others, you take an avoiding action, and then you overtake a car."
It is a stinging criticism of a Formula 1 generation increasingly dominated by energy deployment calculations rather than pure combat between drivers.
Why drivers are looking elsewhere
Alonso also pointed toward the growing trend of Formula 1 stars exploring endurance racing and other categories – something recently highlighted by Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours outing.
But Alonso does not necessarily see that migration as a rejection of F1 itself.
"I don't think that they can call that pure racing. It's just a different series. But it's good that they discovered different sports and different categories, and different ways of enjoying motorsport. Formula 1 is just 1% of the whole motorsport environment," Alonso continued.
"And yeah, I think people enjoy it. I remember when I did the Indy 500 first test, there were like 2 million [people] on YouTube just watching me doing laps around the oval, alone. And then they followed it that season.
"There were like two Europeans driving in the Indy car, now there are 80% Europeans driving in IndyCar. So, hopefully more people will go to the Nürburgring, or to the Le Mans in the future, or whatever."
For Alonso, the bigger picture matters just as much as Formula 1 itself.
"If top drivers in Formula 1 [go there], they are just opening the eyes for fans into a new series. Formula 1 is the pinnacle and lovely, but also the other series are just as magic as Formula 1 in a sense,” the Spaniard concluded.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
