- Hinchcliffe and Palmer say two races are too few to judge F1’s 2026 rules.
- The new rules changed engines, aerodynamics, car size and how drivers use battery power.
- Australia and China brought major debate, fresh winners and a clear early shift in form.
The new F1 2026 rules have split opinion after only two races. But on the F1 Nation podcast, former racing drivers James Hinchcliffe and Jolyon Palmer asked for patience. They said the sport needs more time, more evidence and more races before anyone can judge the new era.
Their comments came after the first two grands prix of the 2026 season, in Australia and China. The early races brought fresh winners, a new order at the front and fierce debate over how the new cars race. The source for those views is the F1 Nation podcast, hosted by Tom Clarkson.
The key question is simple. Are the new rules hurting racing, or are teams still learning them? Hinchcliffe and Palmer backed the second view. They argued that two weekends do not give enough proof to call the rules good or bad.
What changed in 2026?
The F1 2026 rules brought the biggest reset in decades. Formula 1 changed the power units, aerodynamics, tyres and fuel, all at the same time. That scale matters because it affects almost every part of the car.
The biggest shift came in the engine package. F1 cut output from the internal combustion engine and greatly increased electric power. The result is a near 50-50 split between combustion and electric power.
The new MGU-K now sends 350kW to the rear wheels. That is up from 120kW under the old system. F1 wants electric power to make up about half of the total output.
That change sits at the heart of the debate. Supporters say it makes the sport more modern and more useful to car makers. Critics say it puts too much focus on battery use, not pure driving.
Many drivers have said battery saving now shapes how they race. That means energy use, deployment and harvesting can decide when a driver attacks or defends.
For some, that feels too managed.
F1 also replaced DRS. In its place, the sport introduced full-time active aerodynamics. The front and rear wings now change angle through the lap, using Straight Mode and Corner Mode.
The cars also got smaller. F1 cut the maximum wheelbase by 20cm. It also reduced the width by 10cm. That has changed how the cars look. They appear shorter and better balanced. On paper, that should also help agility.
The first two races: what happened on track?
The season opened in Melbourne with a Mercedes win. George Russell took victory in the Australian Grand Prix. His team-mate Kimi Antonelli finished second.
Ferrari also showed strong pace. Mercedes left the first round on top of the Constructors’ standings. The race also produced a striking number: 120 overtakes, up from 45 in Melbourne the year before.
That sharp rise suggested the new rules may create more passing chances. But raw totals do not settle the full argument. Fans and teams still want to know whether the racing feels natural and repeatable.
Round two in Shanghai added more drama. Antonelli won the Chinese Grand Prix on debut. That made him the second youngest race winner in Formula 1 history, behind only Max Verstappen.
Russell finished second, giving Mercedes a consecutive one-two finish. Lewis Hamilton took third for Ferrari. It was his first podium for the team.
McLaren had a nightmare. Neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri started the race. Separate electrical faults on their power units stopped both cars.
Red Bull also suffered. Verstappen retired late in the race. After two rounds, Mercedes and Ferrari looked strongest, while Red Bull struggled with reliability issues.
Hinchcliffe and Palmer say patience matters
While the majority of drivers have criticised the 2026 regulations, Hinchcliffe and Palmer took a careful stance on the F1 Nation podcast. They did not rush to praise the rules. They also did not rush to condemn them.
Hinchcliffe said he has no firm view yet. He made clear that two races are not enough.
“Well, it’s so funny, TC, you know, we were chatting just before we started, and I’m firmly in the camp of no opinion yet,” Hinchcliffe said. “Two data points are not enough, I think, to make a strong conclusion. I’m just sitting back and observing at this point, and I’m reserving judgment for a little later.”
Palmer agreed, but gave a fuller picture. He said the first two weekends have shown racing that looks different, not broken.
“I think we’re seeing just very different racing, aren’t we? That’s the long and short of the first two weekends,” Palmer noted.
He pointed to battery use as a key factor. He said races now turn on deployment, harvesting and timing in a new way. That has changed the shape of battles.
“Different circuits, different degrees of racing, you know, revolving around battery usage, battery deployment, and harvesting,” Palmer said.
He also said fans have still seen strong fights. Ferrari, in his view, has already added plenty of drama. And the new pecking order has created intrigue. “There have been good scraps. We’ve seen some brilliant fights,” he added.
“It’s obviously a new pecking order. There’s a level of intrigue and excitement about it, but in terms of the overall picture of the regs, I do think we need more races.”
Teams are still learning the cars. That may be the most important fact of all. Every lap teaches them more about energy use, setup and strategy.
That learning curve can shape the show. Starts may look messy at first. Strategy may vary more because teams do not yet agree on the best way to race.
That is what Palmer noted.
“The teams are still learning how to optimise this, and that’s kind of giving us some amazing racing. You know, the starts are still really varied. The race strategies, or in terms of the deployment, the actual race craft is really varied.”
“It’ll be interesting when things get a little bit more honed if we get back to a sort of Formula 1 as we know it a little bit more,” the former F1 racer concluded.
And that line right there gets to the heart of the issue.
For now, the most honest answer may be the simplest one. The 2026 rules are new. The racing is new. And Formula 1 still needs more races before anyone can say what this era really is.
