Alex Albon: New F1 regulations lacks the pureness of the sport
The 2026 Formula One regulations have come under criticism by drivers for taking the fun out of the racing. The bone of contention has centred on the new hybrid Power Unit, which is 50% electric, irritating drivers, as the cars are energy-starved and can’t be driven at full speed at all times.
In light of this, the FIA and F1 have decided to make tweaks ahead of the next race in Miami in May, and Williams F1 driver Alexander Albon has welcomed the change.
“Positive, definitely towards the right direction. Is it going to fix everything? Likely not, but how much can we actually fix? I think we’ve gone the right way to address a lot of the purity of the sport,” said Albon during an interaction organised by FanCode on Wednesday.
At the same time, the British-born Thai racer echoed the prevalent view in the paddock that these cars are fundamentally different to what F1 used to be and lack the purity of racing.
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“Yeah, so basically the biggest thing I think is when you think about karting, when you think about everything we’ve done until this year, to go faster, you just drive as fast as you can. It’s as simple as that. This year, the game has changed, where there are many situations where, by driving slower, you can go faster, and so it lacks the pureness of the sport in many ways,” he added.
The 30-year-old also felt that adapting is part and parcel of the sport and hoped things would get better over time.
“It depends. What do people think is the essence of motorsport or racing? Is it to be purely the fastest car around the lap, or the fastest driver around the lap? We cannot forget that motorsport and racing are also about adapting. Every year we have a new regulation, and every year the best teams adapt better than everyone else. So, in terms of the purity of the sport in driving, I would say yes, I agree that’s been taken away. But in terms of the sport and the focus of performance, it’s still about adapting. Maybe the dials of the regulations are not quite there yet, but it’s getting there,” Albon responded to a question of whether the new tech was veering the sport away from its soul.
“We still need a bit more work. I still think after Miami, there’s still going to be a couple of extra final tune-ups before the drivers and the teams are happy.”
Regarding the driving challenge, Albon believed drivers had to rewire their minds, even though the cars aren’t physically taxing.
“It is not physically more difficult; if anything, it’s physically easier, just because the tracks are slower. But then the mental side is very different.
“I think part of that is because it’s not as natural to do. Like I told you before, about how driving slower goes faster. I think a Formula 1 driver is not built to think that way. I think maybe in Formula E, yes, but in Formula 1, no. And so kind of rewiring your brain and getting into a habit of changing these kinds of things is very different. I was quite surprised by it, and I think every race feels easier and easier, as it should. But for sure, it’s mentally a lot more of a challenge.”
In a year where Mercedes has established itself as the best team so far, Williams, running a Mercedes Power Unit, has had a harder time languishing at ninth in the standings after the first three races. The team missed the Barcelona tests and, so far, has only two points, courtesy of Carlos Sainz’s ninth-place finish at the Chinese GP.
On the team’s target, Albon hoped the team could get close to the midfield by the year-end, which would be a realistic ambition.
“I mean, it’s no secret. Look at the results. We are on the back foot.
“We’re not where we want to be. We have an aggressive upgrade plan. I would say Miami isn’t the biggest upgrade compared to what we’re planning for the rest of the season. I still feel like the midfield fight is going to be tough. It’s all relative today. We know we have performance.”
“Clearly, now everyone knows our car is heavy. We know the more we can take the weight out, the better position we’ll be in. I believe by the middle of the season to the end of the season, we’re going to catch up to the midfield. That’s a target for us. The main thing for us is that every race and every upgrade package needs to work. We need to make sure that we’re efficient. Obviously, we have a big gap to close down,” remarked Albon.
The former Red Bull driver himself has had a tough time adapting to the new regulations, having yet to score a point, and has revealed that a lot of it also has to do with software.
“I think I’ve been a little bit on the back foot with these regulation changes. I recognise my driving style isn’t as efficient as I would like. The focus is on adapting and changing. As I said, it’s a different way to drive these cars nowadays. It’s kind of one of these things, as you learn throughout the year,” Albon candidly admitted to his struggles.
“Mercedes and HPP (High Performance Powertrains) need to learn how you drive, and you also need to learn how to drive their software. A lot of it is software-based. Much of it comes down to algorithms and sensitivities. So that’s been a bit of a challenge. I think, as a driver, the main thing you can do is help develop bespoke software for your car,” he added.
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During qualifying for the Japanese GP, Albon expressed frustration at being slower than his teammate Sainz, attributing the gap to his driving style.
“Most of that is just down to trying to understand the system, honestly. I think we realised at the start of the season that I’m doing okay in the corners and I’m struggling a bit on the straights. As a group, that’s Williams, me, and Mercedes, trying to understand where these differences come from between drivers.”
“It’s amazing when you actually look at the details; it all adds up. If a driver has a different driving style, it can affect how the system works. We actually spent a lot of these five weeks trying to understand it. Spending a lot of time with Mercedes as well, trying to understand where these differences come from,” said Albon.
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Published on Apr 22, 2026