Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi slams “extremely badly designed” F1 2026 rules

Di Grassi responds to Verstappen’s comments as he weighs in on the new F1 regulations

Formula E star Lucas di Grassi believes the 2026 Formula 1 cars have been designed “extremely badly”, as he questioned the logic behind the new regulations.

F1 has introduced a new set of power units this year as part of a wider technical overhaul, with the MGU-K system becoming more powerful and accounting for nearly half of the total output of the car.

These new rules have received criticism from some quarters, with four-time champion Max Verstappen describing the 2026 cars as “Formula E on steroids” due to the increased reliance on energy management and harvesting.

Di Grassi, who also raced at the peak of the World Endurance Championship’s LMP1 era with Audi, reckons that incorporating electrical technology is itself not the issue - but rather how the rules have been framed.

“The hybrid rules of F1 are extremely badly designed,” di Grassi, who drove for Virgin in F1 2010, told Motorsport.com. “It's not only the fault of the hybrid system. It's the rules which are decided by the FIA, and some people within the FIA who decided the rules [who are at fault].

“I don't know the logic behind those rules, but there are very weird rules. And for F1, which makes the car very slow and sometimes not very efficient or not very raceable, which [is why] the drivers are complaining.”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Alexander Albon, Williams, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Di Grassi also claimed that Formula E’s technical roadmap could ultimately allow it to surpass F1 in outright performance.

With the all-electric championship set to introduce its 800bhp Gen4 car next season, and further upgrades planned for the future, he believes continued battery development could see Formula E become the fastest category in the world.

“My point is that Formula E will be the fastest cars in the world in a couple of years,” said the 2016/17 champion. “It depends on us to come up with a good improvement for Gen 4.5 and Gen 5. We have the potential.

“So what happens when Formula E is way faster than F1? Will the best drivers in the world drive Formula E?

“Will people consider Formula E drivers are now finally better than Formula 1 drivers because the car is faster? Or Formula 1 drivers will come here to drive these cars also? Maybe they do two programmes. Formula E becomes a winter series. Formula 1 becomes a summer series, and you can do maybe both. I don't know.

“Naturally, that's how it's going to go. If there will be a political force bearing this, then I don't know. But naturally, the Formula E car will be way faster than F1.

“I would say at Monaco, maybe not this year, not the Gen 4, but one or two years after Gen 4 [into the next cycle], maybe [Formula E cars will be] two-three-four-five seconds faster than F1. Four-by-four, traction control, it's going to be good.”

Asked whether he had spoken to any F1 drivers who have tested the 2026 package, the Brazilian replied: “Yeah, I spoke to a few. I spoke to some people who are driving on the simulator, and the rules are very weird. On some tracks, it creates a lot of problems.”