Fernando Alonso Calls 2026 F1 Cars ‘Worst Ever’ After Monaco GP Practice Struggles

Fernando Alonso has delivered one of his most pointed assessments of Formula 1’s new technical era, declaring the 2026-generation machinery the worst he has driven at Monaco after a difficult Friday practice session at the street circuit.

“This is probably the worst generation of cars I ever drove in Monaco,” the two-time world champion said, as reported by Autosport. “Hybrid cars should not be racing. It’s as simple as that.”

Alonso’s frustration centres on how the 2026 hybrid power unit architecture affects braking consistency. The energy recovery systems, which harvest power through the rear axle under braking, create variable engine braking levels depending on the state of the battery. “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,” he explained. “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.”

The Spaniard has been a consistent critic of the 2026 regulations since first driving the AMR26 in pre-season testing, repeatedly highlighting how energy management requirements force drivers to lift in high-speed corners — removing what he considers a core element of driving challenge. Monaco, which places no premium on energy saving given its low-speed layout, might have been expected to provide some relief. Instead, Alonso indicated the circuit exposed a different but equally significant set of problems.

Compounding his wider dissatisfaction with the regulations are issues specific to the AMR26. Alonso has flagged “random downshifts” as an ongoing problem, and the issue resurfaced during Free Practice 1 when he lost control on the approach to the chicane and made contact with the barriers. “Now, we harvest a lot during braking,” he said. “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.”

Beyond the driveability concerns, which he described as making the car “way too inconsistent”, Alonso identified “chronic understeer” as a persistent set-up problem for Aston Martin, one that adjustments made ahead of this weekend had not resolved. The team faces further work to identify a potential fix across the remaining practice and qualifying sessions.

The consequences were visible in Friday’s timing sheets. Aston Martin ended the day with a worrying gap to their midfield rivals — Cadillac finished 0.178 seconds ahead of the AMR26, while Racing Bulls, the next closest team, held a 0.546-second advantage over Alonso’s car on the shortest circuit of the 2026 calendar.

Alonso’s comments add to a growing debate within the paddock about the real-world impact of F1’s sweeping 2026 regulation overhaul, which introduced entirely new power unit specifications alongside revised aerodynamic rules. The changes were designed to attract new manufacturers and improve racing, but the transition period has been turbulent for several teams. Aston Martin, who finished fifth in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship, are among those still struggling to extract consistent performance from the new package.

Qualifying at Monaco takes place on Saturday, with the race scheduled for Sunday. Given the circuit’s notoriously limited overtaking opportunities, Aston Martin’s Friday deficit makes a strong grid position critical if the team hopes to salvage a competitive result.