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Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto has urged Formula 1âs drivers and critics to âturn the pageâ on their grievances over the 2026 regulations, insisting the championshipâs new cars remain demanding and enjoyable to drive.
The transition from the 2022â25 rules has been a source of frustration for much of the field. Drivers had become accustomed to high-downforce cars capable of taking even the most challenging high-speed corners flat. The 2026 machinery, by contrast, has placed greater emphasis on energy management, with the issue becoming particularly visible at Silverstone.
The Miami adjustments to deployment regulations offered a limited improvement by restricting overall electrical power and boost usage, allowing the batteries to discharge more slowly. Further changes are expected in 2027 and 2028, including increased internal-combustion engine output through higher fuel-flow limits, as Formula 1 seeks to address the most severe energy-management problems.
That prospect has sharpened concerns ahead of Spa-Francorchamps. Several drivers warned that Silverstone would be difficult for energy usage, while Oscar Piastri suggested the Belgian Grand Prix could be even tougher. He also said it might be âsadâ if depleted batteries dulled some of the circuitâs defining challenges. The latest Spa preview highlights energy deployment as one of the weekendâs central competitive factors.
Bortoleto, however, offered a more positive assessment after the British Grand Prix. He argued that slower speeds through some of the faster corners had not removed the circuitâs character, pointing specifically to Copse.
âI don't think weâve lost the magic of the sport,â Bortoleto said. âWe are still driving f**ing quick through Copse. It's 280[kph], so I'm still lifting to do that corner.â*
For the Brazilian, the current cars are not lacking grip or challenge; they simply require drivers to adapt to a different concept.
âObviously, last year it was a different concept, but I think we should turn the page. That's the regulations we're living right now,â he added.
Bortoleto said the cars remain fun to drive and that complaints should not dominate the next three seasons, with the regulations understood to remain in place until 2030. Any debate over the following rules, he suggested, can wait until 2031, when Formula 1 is considering a return to naturally aspirated V8 engines.
âIt's different. We need to adapt to that and it's life,â he concluded.
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.