Fernando Alonso has delivered a savage verdict on the current generation of Formula 1 cars, declaring that “Hybrid cars should not be racing.”
Alonso is one of the current generation of F1 cars’ fiercest critics, criticising the impact of battery and electric power on the racing spectacle.
With no Straight Line Mode available to the drivers, the short lap of Monaco negates a lot of the issues seen in earlier races, primarily super-clipping.
But Alonso has criticised the impact of the current regulations on the car’s ability to drive around the famous street circuit, highlighting key areas.
“This is probably the worst generation of cars I ever drove in Monaco,” he said after FP2.
“The way you charge the battery, with the braking and lifting off and things like that, obviously creates a lot of inconsistency into the engine braking of the car. Sometimes you have less, sometimes you have push and sometimes not.
“If the battery is completely full, then you don’t recharge because the battery is full. So you don’t have engine braking. It’s like pushing.
Fernando Alonso explains energy concerns
Alonso then delivered his blunt assessment of the the new rules, before elaborating on the issues caused by the battery.
“It’s just the rules. Hybrid cars should not be racing. It’s as simple as that.”
“Now, we harvest a lot during braking,” he explained. “The rear axle is just charging the battery massively on the braking.
“And then you have these downshifts that you need to interact with the engine blip to engage the next gear. There are a lot of things going on this year and it seems that we are not at the level yet.”
Alonso is never likely to warm to the current regulations, his latest take particularly savage. This is not helped by Aston Martin’s struggles, which continue to frustrate the two-time World Champion.
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