Damon Hill suspects most F1 drivers haven’t enjoyed racing for years but ‘they can’t say it’

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It has been well documented how Formula 1 drivers do not like the new regulations cycle in 2026, but Damon Hill believes that they have not enjoyed racing for some time.

Even before the 2026 F1 regulations were introduced, they were widely scrutinised by the drivers, with Max Verstappen being the most vocal. He completely dislikes the changes, especially the battery, to the point that Verstappen is threatening to retire from F1.

Toto Wolff claims ‘90%’ of fans like the new regulations, but social media would suggest that that is inaccurate. The 2026 rules have been widely criticised by those in and out of the sport, with adjustments clearly needed.

You’re the FIA: What’s the first thing you would change in the 2026 regulations?

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Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka sparked conversations between the FIA and team bosses, with both parties agreeing on multiple changes for the Miami Grand Prix. They are aimed at reducing superclipping during qualifying and improving driver safety.

However, these are merely adjustments, rather than radical changes, which are unlikely to truly satisfy the drivers. Hill thinks that they are being held back from saying what they really feel.

Damon Hill says drivers cannot say what they feel about the 2026 regulations

Speaking on The Race’s The Undercut podcast, the 1996 F1 champion has the impression that drivers have not liked racing since the ground-effect era, and have been blocked from expressing their feelings.

“I’ve had the feeling for a long time that they are not really enjoying driving these cars, and I’m talking about the Venturi ground-effect cars as well,” he said.

“Because in the races they’re literally just pootling around trying to save the tyre. They can’t overuse the tyre. They’re just driving to a number. Well, they haven’t spoken out about that, they muttered.

“They’re trying their best to say it’s not what you [seeing], but they can’t say it because they sound ungrateful and all the rest of it.”

Co-host Mark Hughes then said: “You’re not seeing what you think you’re seeing,” to which Hill added: “You’re not. Yeah. But really, that’s what they wanted to say. And so maybe there is a strong case now, I think you’re right, Mark.

“I think there is a strong case for them to say, ‘Look, we really have to speak out about this because we spent our lives aiming for something and expecting something and what we’ve been delivered is really…’

“They are neutered in many ways. They can’t express themselves as racing drivers in this formula like it is now or even the Venturi days.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen has already explained why Lewis Hamilton is wrong about the 2026 F1 regulations

Lando Norris proves F1 drivers are being blocked from talking about the regulations

McLaren star and defending F1 champion Lando Norris proves Hill’s theory to be correct. He has been critical of the regulations in the past, calling overtaking ‘artificial’ due to drivers needing to harvest the battery during races.

However, in a recent interview, Norris’ management blocked him from answering questions about the regulations and Verstappen’s future in the sport. It would suggest that drivers are being prevented from being overly critical about the changes in 2026.

Interestingly, Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Norris was right in the way he handled the situation. The Colombian called out the journalist for asking him questions about the regulations when he was instructed not to.