Alonso: 'No driver talent needed' to overtake in modern F1

Fernando Alonso has never been one to sugar-coat his opinions, and Formula 1's controversial 2026 regulations have once again found themselves squarely in the Spaniard's firing line.

The two-time world champion, now enduring life at the back of the grid with Aston Martin, has launched his latest broadside against the sport's new-era technical formula, arguing that overtaking has become less about driver brilliance and more about who has the better battery strategy.

For a driver whose reputation was built on daring late-braking moves and wheel-to-wheel combat over more than two decades in Grand Prix racing, the latter’s current product is proving increasingly difficult to stomach.

Alonso questions where driver skill has gone

The sweeping 2026 regulations introduced a radically different technical package, with the sport moving to a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power.

While the changes were designed to improve efficiency and create new strategic challenges, they have also produced the so-called "yo-yo" racing effect, where fluctuating battery levels can dramatically alter straight-line speed from lap to lap.

Alonso believes that has stripped much of the artistry out of overtaking.

“It depends what the fans and the sport want,” the 44-year-old explained. “Yesterday I saw replays of the sprint, people overtaking in the middle of the straights with more battery.

“So there is not any driver input or driver talent needed to overtake a car in front you. You don't need to outbrake anyone, you don't need to overtake on the outside, you don't need to take any risk.

“You just press one button, and you overtake if you have a better power unit than the car in front.”

It is the latest chapter in Alonso's ongoing criticism of Formula 1's current generation of machinery. Earlier this season, he branded the new cars the worst he has driven, and Silverstone did little to soften his opinion.

Spa offers little hope for Aston Martin

Silverstone last weekend brought more frustration for Alonso, whose Aston Martin shut itself off on the formation lap before enduring another points-less afternoon.

Looking ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix, the F1 veteran expects another race dominated by energy management rather than pure racing.

“Obviously, Silverstone and Spa, they are very trusted on energy,” he explained. “You cannot deploy in all on the straights.

“Next week, it is going to be the same thing. If you deploy in Spa from Turn 1 to 5, it is finito for the rest of the lap. So, you need to save a little bit there to have deployment from 14 to the bus stop [chicane].

“But if you deploy in those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is one minute, sector 2, with no deployment at all.

“And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2 - that is the case when you cut the deployment.

“So, yes, it is a challenge."

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Alonso's frustration is undoubtedly amplified by Aston Martin's difficult campaign, with the team battling near the rear of the field rather than competing where the Spaniard spent much of his career.

Yet his criticism extends well beyond his own fortunes. At its heart is a fundamental question about Formula 1's identity.

If overtakes are increasingly decided by energy deployment instead of precision, bravery and racecraft, Alonso believes the sport risks sidelining the very skillset that made its greatest drivers legendary.

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