Because then all these complaints from the drivers and the usual nostalgic boomers clash with reality, described by the sly Toto Wolff – who coincidentally has excelled in every session of this early 2026 -: “It would be nice to do qualifying at full throttle, but if we look at the enthusiasm of the fans, the cheering during overtakes, the younger fans and social media, the vast majority in all age groups loves this F1“.
Even one of the most experienced of the lot, Lewis Hamilton, on the grid for 20 years, has aligned himself with the new course – enlightened after the first podium in a year: “I think it was the best race I’ve experienced in F1. In the car it was fantastic, it felt like driving a go-kart. First forward, then backward, then forward”. And it’s no coincidence that in Great Britain they are calling these types of maneuvers “yo-yo overtakes”.
How boring these drivers are who criticize left and right and don’t look to the future. Which is already present. Like Max Verstappen’s venomous remark: “If anyone likes all this, then they don’t really know what motorsport is. Maybe some might like it, but they don’t understand racing. You make a clean overtake, then your battery runs out on the next straight, then you make a clean overtake again”. How dare you, Max? Sore loser! Wolff put him in his place: “Max talks like this because he’s living a nightmare with a car that’s horrible to drive“, and with him also Jonathan Wheatley of Audi – one of the manufacturers that pushed hard for the 50:50 thermal/hybrid split: “I enjoyed it. Max’s comments need to be understood, they stem from his position at the moment.”
Even Alonso couldn’t wait to have his say: “The start is still a matter of instinct. It’s not like the battery world championship we have now“. Well, but he talks like that because of the Aston Martin that isn’t working, right? And Ollie Bearman? He must be an atypical youngster: “What frustration. With Colapinto I was much faster, having new tires. And I overtook him. But he took the position back on the straight as if I wasn’t there, because I had a dead battery.”
Charles Leclerc on Thursday gave an idea of how these maneuvers are more for accountants with calculators than for daredevils: “In the past you took risks and made the overtake. Now you have to reflect on what will happen on the following straights. If you waste energy, you will then pay the consequences.”
Read more Antonelli-Hamilton banter in the press conference: “When you won your first race I was one year old”
However, we saw 8 overtakes between Leclerc and Hamilton in China, 5 between Russell and Leclerc in Australia. Did we want more spectacle? Here is the spectacle. Electrifying.
I saw a yo-yo overtake! Ah well, yes well…
Read more Hamilton: “It took me much longer than I thought to get this podium”
