Fernando Alonso has never been particularly diplomatic when Formula 1’s machinery gets in the way of what he believes racing should be. At the Madring, the two-time world champion once again found plenty to criticize – and this time, the circuit itself provided the perfect backdrop.
The new Madrid venue is exactly the kind of track that should reward nerve. Its 5.4km layout throws drivers into fast, committed corners where bravery, precision and confidence ought to separate the best from the rest.
Instead, Alonso believes the current generation of cars has turned some of that challenge into a battery-management exercise.
For the Aston Martin veteran, that is not merely disappointing. It strikes at the very essence of what F1 is supposed to be.
A spectacular corner robbed of its purpose
Alonso singled out La Monumental, Turn 12, as the clearest example. The corner is one of Madring’s defining challenges, yet he feels the current power units can blunt the very qualities that should make it special.
"It is sad, in a way, with this generation of cars to come to a very nice circuit like this one, with challenges here and there, like La Monumental corner, Turn 12," the Spaniard said.
His frustration was rooted in a simple question: what should happen when two drivers arrive at a corner that demands commitment?
©Aston Martin
The answer, in Alonso’s view, should be that the braver or more talented driver goes faster. But the current machinery can make the amount of electrical energy available just as decisive.
"It cannot be that Michael [Alonso was referring to his PR man] is faster than Max Verstappen if he has more battery, because Turn 12 is such an incredible corner that Max Verstappen has to be making the difference compared to Michael, and at the moment we can't,” he explained.
"But Formula 1 or motorsport in general should be that in Turn 12, if Michael is braver than me, he goes faster. If I have more attributes, I will go faster than him, that's how we should be qualifying. Now it's just [depending on] how much [battery charge] I have, I will go faster or slower."
It is a fairly brutal indictment of a technical philosophy that was supposed to push F1 into a more sustainable future.
Instead, Alonso sees a sport in which some of the most spectacular corners on the calendar can become exercises in energy deployment rather than raw driving ability.
Alonso refuses to wait until 2031
F1 is already moving toward a different balance between combustion and electric power, with the electric contribution expected to remain substantial before the sport's anticipated return to V8 engines later in the next rules cycle.
But Alonso clearly does not believe patience is an adequate answer.
His concerns are particularly pertinent given Aston Martin's struggles for performance from its Honda power unit, while the Spaniard has also held discussions with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem over whether the regulations can do more to help struggling manufacturers close the gap.
Honda has received additional concessions through the ADUO system, although the catch-up mechanism has itself come under scrutiny.
For Alonso, however, the issue goes far beyond his team's competitive predicament. He believes the sport needs to address the underlying problem now rather than simply waiting for the next major regulations reset.
"I did speak with him [Ben Sulayem] but I speak with Stefano [Domenicali, F1 boss] regularly every week, because Formula 1 cannot continue in this way," the two-time world champion lamented.
"We cannot wait for 2031 to have a proper sport, so I think it's also my responsibility to help them with my experience, to make whatever we can do."
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The 45-year-old is hardly calling for F1 to abandon technology or turn back the clock overnight. He is asking for the technology to stop overshadowing the driver – particularly at a circuit deliberately designed to test courage and commitment.
Madring has given Formula 1 a track that Alonso clearly enjoys driving. He just wishes the cars would let him enjoy driving it.
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