F1 veterans' future hinges on 2026 regulations, says Buxton

F1 presenter Will Buxton suggests the sport's veteran champions, including Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, have been waiting for the 2026 technical regulations to suit their driving styles again. He questions whether their inability to adapt to the new cars could hasten the end of their careers, drawing parallels to how the 2022 rules hurt drivers of their generation.

Why it matters:

The 2026 regulation change represents a pivotal moment for F1's most experienced and decorated drivers. For stars like Hamilton and Alonso, who struggled relative to their past dominance after the 2022 ground-effect rules, the new car philosophy could either revive their competitive edge or confirm a permanent shift away from their strengths, potentially influencing their decisions to continue racing.

The details:

• Buxton argues the 2022 regulations, which introduced ground-effect aerodynamics, did not favor drivers of a specific generation, naming Hamilton, Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez.
• He points to Ricciardo's initial career stumble and the sustained damage to Perez's reputation as evidence of how a car-generation mismatch can have severe consequences.
• The core of Buxton's analysis is that these drivers have been "hanging out for these new regulations," hoping for a return to a lighter, more responsive car that plays to their classic strengths.
• He emphasizes that a driver's skill doesn't vanish, using Hamilton as an example: "Lewis didn't forget how to drive between '21 and '22. What changed was the car."
• The 2026 rules promise significantly different cars, with a near 50/50 power split between combustion and electric engines, reduced weight and dimensions, and active aerodynamics—a change some drivers, like Max Verstappen, have previewed with skepticism.

What's next:

The development and initial testing of the 2026 cars will be intensely scrutinized for how they handle and whether they align with the driving styles of the sport's elder statesmen.

• If the cars suit them, it could lead to a dramatic late-career resurgence for one or more of these champions.
• If the veterans continue to struggle for pace and feel, the 2026 season could logically become a natural endpoint for legendary careers, as the formula no longer rewards their decades-honed skills.
• Buxton's commentary sets a fascinating narrative stakes for the next two years: will the new era be defined by its past heroes or finally pass the torch completely?