Former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host-turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson has delivered his take on Formula 1‘s new rulebook with a humorous quip aimed at ‘Drive to Survive’.
F1’s new technical regulations have divided opinions as the new season has beckoned closer, with huge overhauls from the previous era.
As is often the case with major F1 rule changes, there have been an abundance of teething problems suffered by many teams, as well as a potential opportunism by outfits to interpret them in their own way.
2026 has been no exception, with brand new teams such as Cadillac starting totally from scratch, as well as Aston Martin suffering its own growing pains, with Mercedes also causing controversy with its alleged illegitimacy of its power unit.
It has led to intrigue, contention and outspoken comments from some of the drivers about the new cars, and that’s before the first race has even taken place.
What Jeremy Clarkson had to say on the new F1 regulations
A noted and self-confessed celebrity F1 fan, Clarkson explained the cornerstones of the new ruleset, and warned the popular Netflix series might have to change its name as a result.
“Rule changes mean that this year’s Formula 1 cars are completely new,” he wrote in his column for The Sun.
“Half the power now comes from batteries that must be recharged every lap. The cars are smaller too and have narrower tyres, which means less grip.
“And there’s no DRS on the rear wing.
“On paper, it all sounds very skiddy and exciting, but after three days of testing in Bahrain this week, it’s clear that there are some issues.
“At tracks such as Monza and China, the cars will run out of electrical power before they reach the end of the straight, which will cause them to suddenly and dramatically slow down. That is going to be a problem for the car behind.
“On the start line, they need to be at full revs for ten seconds for the turbocharger to wake up or the car will stall when the race begins.
“Then there’s the disparity in performance. Some are claiming that the Aston Martin is four seconds a lap slower than the Mercedes. And on top of all this, there’s the big question of reliability.
“It’s accepted that with so many new and untried parts, it’s inevitable there will be failures. So it won’t be Drive To Survive any more. It’ll be Don’t Break Down To Survive.”
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