Valtteri Bottas is adamant that the new F1 regulations will be ‘much better’ than people think

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The new Formula 1 regulations for the 2026 season have taken quite the bashing in recent weeks, but Valtteri Bottas is adamant that the new cars are “fun to drive”.

After the grid congregated in Bahrain for the first week of pre-season testing in February, a multitude of concerns about the new F1 cars built in line with the 2026 regulations came to light.

The biggest gripe for most F1 drivers has been suggested to be the new engine formula, due to the new 50/50 split between electrical and thermal energy in the power units.

Management of the battery is now crucial, and it could be the difference between securing a podium position or falling out of contention.

Fernando Alonso has already labelled the heightened focus as ‘annoying’, and he isn’t alone in his assessment.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen also launched an attack on the new regulations, comparing them to being ‘Formula E on steroids’.

The comments saw the Red Bull star land himself in hot water with F1 bosses.

• READ MORE: David Coulthard is already ‘concerned’ about Sergio Perez after Bahrain pre-season testing

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Valtteri Bottas offers his ‘personal thoughts’ on the 2026 F1 regulations after recent criticism

During an appearance at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, Valtteri Bottas took part in a Q+A session to answer questions from F1 fans.

One of the questions that the 10-time Grand Prix fielded was about his own personal thoughts on the new ruleset, amid the recent negativity surrounding them.

The Cadillac driver said, “My personal thoughts about the 2026 regulations is that it’s going to be much better than people speculate.

“There’s been a lot of criticism, which I think is always normal when there’s a change in the sport. Yes, the cars are different, the engines are different, but then every team is still getting used to the battery power.

“So, we’ll see in Melbourne how it all goes, but I think it’s going to be fine. I think it’s going to be quite dynamic racing with the battery.

“How you deploy or charge the battery will just add an extra element to the sport, so it should be good. And the cars, they’re fun to drive.”

Cadillac’s competitiveness ahead of their debut season in F1 is still in question. Despite being supplied with Ferrari engines, the team is expected to struggle as they look to simply survive their first term in the sport.

Sergio Perez has issued a positive verdict after the Barcelona shakedown, which offers some optimism for fans of F1’s newest outfit.

• READ MORE: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas agree about Cadillac’s first F1 car amid early issues

Valtteri Bottas also addressed the five-place grid penalty he must serve on F1 return

Bottas was also asked for his thoughts on having to serve a five-place grid penalty at the 2026 season-opener, despite not having taken part in a Grand Prix since 2024.

The Finn was handed the penalty following a clash with Kevin Magnussen at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The FIA initially changed the ruling, which would have seen his penalty redundant, but a later verdict means that Bottas will still have to serve it due to it being handed out before the regulations were amended.

In his response to the question posed by an audience member, he jokingly replied, “Sorry, I missed that… Yeah, it’s true, I still have my five-place grid penalty, so that means I’ll be starting on Sunday from sixth-place, right?”