Lewis Hamilton issues F1 defence with firm '20 years' claim

Lewis Hamilton has defended the new F1 cars for 2026, stating they are more fun to drive than any previous generation he has experienced.

The cars this year have undergone a major regulation change, with significant modifications made to the aerodynamics and power units.

The latter element has dramatically changed the way drivers navigate extracting speed with major focus now placed in energy harvesting and deployment.

In racing conditions, this has seen drivers struggle to maintain position after overtaking a rival due to their depleted battery.

But Hamilton has stated the so called “yo-yo racing” is common in go-karting, pointing out that it never recieves criticism.

"If you go back to karting, it's the same thing,” Hamilton told media including RacingNews365. 

“People going back and forth, back and forth, you can never break away.

"No one ever has ever referred to go-karting as yo-yo racing.”

Now in his 20th F1 campaign, Hamilton has experienced numerous regulation changes throughout his career.

The seven-time champion highlighted a major advantage the current generation holds over previous cars is the ability to follow rivals through high-speed corners.

“It's the best form of racing, and F1 has not been the best form of racing in a long, long time,” he said.

"Out of all the cars that I've driven in 20 years, this is the only car that you can actually follow through high speed and not completely lose everything that you have, and you can stay behind.”