2026 Regulations Hurt Top Drivers Like Verstappen and Norris, Says Tost

Comment of the day

This week’s poll asks whether Formula 1 has become “too artificial”. For Dan, artificiality is nothing new and not necessarily a problem:

From as far back as I can remember watching F1, there has always been a degree of artificiality. When I was a kid, races seemed contrived because of refuelling — a light car overtaking a heavier car full of fuel hardly felt like ‘genuine racing’. Later, we had (K)ERS, DRS and other gimmicks, and an increasing need to manage components such as engines, tyres and gearboxes. The 2026 rules are just another step in a long line of changes heading in the same direction.

I accepted long ago that F1 isn’t about pure, flat-out racing with cars built to be the fastest possible. I don’t think the new rules are the dramatic game-changer many make them out to be. I focus on the positives: cars are still fast, and the development of hybrid technology is interesting to watch. Yo-yo racing appeared at the start of 2022 but quickly faded as teams adapted, and I expect a similar pattern here. Teams will learn to counter the effects and extract performance, including in qualifying where lift-and-coast approaches will be mitigated as teams find better ways to maximise lap time.

Overall, F1 has always been artificial, and it isn’t less so this year. But that hasn’t been a problem for me — I’ve learned to embrace and even enjoy the artificial side of the sport.
@Dan_the_mclaren_fan

Social media and links

Franz Tost: Ex-Toro Rosso team boss on his 18 years in Formula 1 (German)

“With the current regulations you don’t brake at the last moment because we now use a braking point of 100 metres. So drivers lift off the gas 20–30 metres earlier and just coast through corners to conserve energy for the straight. Top drivers like Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Fernando Alonso used to gain a lot from braking late, carrying speed to the apex and getting on the power again. If you coast through the corner they no longer have that advantage, which is why some drivers aren’t thrilled by the rules.”

Race preview (Haas)

Ayao Komatsu: “Looking back, we had a couple of difficult races in May, but that has given us plenty to analyse and improve on, both technically and operationally. We’re eager to get back to regular racing.”

‘We were missing some pace’ — Mini on F2 form

“It’s very early in the championship, so we need to focus on the job and find more pace. We got a double podium in Canada, but we were clearly missing some speed. There’s still work to do.”

Kimi receives the Bandini Trophy (Mercedes)

The day’s celebrations began in Imola where Kimi met local officials and greeted fans in the city centre before travelling to Faenza and Brisighella, Lorenzo Bandini’s hometown. He was formally presented with the 33rd Trofeo Bandini following speeches from local dignitaries, and the festivities concluded with an official dinner.

Norris’ first lap of the Nordschleife (McLaren)

Formula 2 and Formula 3 have revised their logos to bring them closer in style to Formula 1’s. #F1 #F2 #F3

— RaceFans (@racefans.net) 2026-06-01T09:08:05.138Z

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On this day in motorsport

• 30 years ago today Michael Schumacher scored his first victory as a Ferrari driver in a rain-soaked Spanish Grand Prix. Jean Alesi finished second nearly three-quarters of a minute behind, and Jacques Villeneuve was the only other driver on the lead lap in third.
• Born today in 1956: Jan Lammers, winner of the 1988 Le Mans 24 Hours for Jaguar alongside Johnny Dumfries and Andy Wallace. He also raced in Formula 1 and holds the record for the longest gap between consecutive starts, with over ten years between his appearances for Theodore in 1982 and March in 1992.
• 35 years ago today Michael Andretti led an Andretti family one-two-three at the Milwaukee 200, with his cousin John Andretti second and Mario Andretti third.
• 35 years ago today Nelson Piquet took his final F1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix after race leader Nigel Mansell’s Williams stopped halfway around the final lap. Stefano Modena was promoted to second for Tyrrell, ahead of Riccardo Patrese, while Mansell was classified sixth to take the final point.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Jayantj, Rahim.RG and Aditya Fakhri Yahya!