F1 fans online have shared their reactions to Lewis Hamilton’s claims about the energy management system in the new set of F1 car regulations. The Briton believes that the system is simply far too complex and that fans are unlikely to understand it at all.
The energy management system has been overhauled in the 2026 regulations, with the drivers now holding a lot of the power. The man behind the wheel will have to oversee battery recharging and can do so at specific times, like under braking or while at full throttle down the straight.
But 7x F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton believes that fans are unlikely to understand the deeper intricacies of the energy management system fully. Speaking about this at the Bahrain Pre-Season Test, Hamilton said: [via Autosport]
“None of the fans will understand it. It’s ridiculously complex. I had seven meetings one day to take us through it. it’s like we need a degree to fully understand it.”
F1 fans online have shared their reaction to Hamilton’s claim, with many criticising the veteran.
“Bro’s one week in with the Kardashians and he’s already talking about everything being hard to understand,” joked one fan.
“If he can understand KimK he should be fine with the EMS then…,” remarked another user.
“This guy already making excuses… Gonna be so fun to watch with him getting beaten yet again by his teammate,” said another fan.
Here are some more reactions:
“Thought they were more fun to drive?,” questioned another user.
“He’s saying this because he doesn’t have the fastest car,” claimed another fan.
“Crying already cause leclerc is dunking 3 tenths on him at sim,” said another user.
Following the Barcelona F1 test in late January, Lewis Hamilton had set the quickest lap of the week in Spain and claimed that new cars were far more enjoyable to drive. In Bahrain, the driver struggled on Day 1 of the test, setting the fourth-quickest time during the morning session.
Lewis Hamilton weighs in on Mercedes compression ratio controversy
Lewis Hamilton recently commented on the Mercedes compression ratio controversy that has dominated discourse ahead of the start of the 2026 F1 season. The former Silver Arrows driver said that he hopes the FIA sorts the issue out and allows all teams to start on a level playing field.
After rumors suggesting Mercedes has an upper hand on the rest of the field after Barcelona, Hamilton was asked by Sky Sports if he feels Ferrari can compete with the German team in 2026. The driver stated that it was important to analyze this at the moment, before alluding to several unknowns, including what the FIA decides to do with the Mercedes compression ratio scenario.
“There’s whispers of certain fuel loads that Mercedes are on, there’s whispers of extra power that they have that the rest of us don’t, the compression ratio thing. Hopefully that gets sorted and the FIA takes care of that and makes sure that we’re all starting on equal playing field,” said Hamilton.
For context, after initial talks of Mercedes having discovered the compression ratio loophole in the 2026 regulations, all F1 engine manufacturers except Mercedes are reportedly looking to bring about a change in the 2026 engine rules, which would see the compression ratio be measured when the car is at racing temperature. This would make the German team’s loophole invalid.
Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar
