Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll spoke out about 2026 F1 cars in Australian Grand Prix meeting

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Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll were among the drivers to complain about the 2026 F1 cars in the briefing ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. The new rules have been heavily criticised after the first qualifying session of the season.

Having crashed out in Q1, Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen said he is getting no enjoyment from the new machinery. He already feels ‘drained’.

Meanwhile, McLaren driver and reigning world champion, Lando Norris, who qualified sixth, claims the sport has swapped its best generation of cars for the worst.

What can F1 do to regain Max Verstappen’s approval?

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Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll made feelings known in Australian Grand Prix briefing

According to Autosport, the drivers’ briefing at Albert Park was ‘intense and lasted considerably longer than usual’.

The report states that Verstappen and Hamilton both ‘spoke out behind the scenes’. The former feels that the concerns he raised in 2023 were ignored.

• READ MORE: Max Verstappen’s 2023 warning on ‘terrible’ 2026 F1 rules proves accurate during Bahrain Testing

Aston Martin driver Stroll, who didn’t take part in qualifying due to a damaged oil line, expressed his view that the sport is going in the wrong direction.

Norris suggested that ’18 out of 20 drivers’ are unhappy with the new cars, with the Mercedes duo likely the only exceptions. George Russell led a dominant one-two on Saturday, with Isack Hadjar eight-tenths off the pace in third.

The fundamentals of the new regulations cannot be changed at this stage, but it seems increasingly likely that there will be a series of tweaks in the early part of the 2026 season. The FIA are planning an initial review after the Sprint weekend in China (13-15 March).

What did Lewis Hamilton say about the 2026 cars after qualifying?

Hamilton offered a balanced analysis after qualifying. The cars are lighter and smaller this year, which has apparently made them more fun to drive.

Indeed, even Verstappen praised the new car dimensions during a lengthy rant about the regulations over the winter.

But Hamilton says the new energy management protocols aren’t ‘really working’ for the drivers, forcing them to lift and coast at times during a qualifying lap when they should be at ‘full-on attack’.

• READ MORE: F1 fans call 2026 cars ‘tragic’ as ‘superclipping’ ruins best corner at Australian Grand Prix

“It’s not necessarily depressing,” Hamilton said, via RacingNews365. “The car is really fun to drive. As for the power: it’s good if you have it. It just doesn’t last long enough.”

“You start a lap at half throttle through the last corner and a quarter of the straight. Only then do you go to full throttle.

“It completely goes against what Formula 1 is all about: full throttle, full-on attack. We’re lifting and coasting… That aspect isn’t really working, and I don’t think the drivers really enjoy it.”