Pedro de la Rosa: “I hope no one thinks that I am in favor of the new Formula 1”

The season is barely three races old, yet the criticism — on and off the track — is already piling up. And one thing is clear: Formula 1’s 2026 era has not landed well with most drivers or fans.

TV ratings reflect that frustration. China briefly masked the issues after the aggressive clipping seen in Australia, but in Japan the problems came roaring back. The crash involving Oliver Bearman only intensified concerns about the massive speed differences between cars.

Watching it all unfold from the Aston Martin garage, Pedro de la Rosa isn’t thrilled either. Speaking on El Larguero for Spain’s Cadena SER, he didn’t hide his disappointment.

“Those of us who’ve been around remember the V10s with 930 horsepower, when you were flat‑out the entire race — and we miss that,” De la Rosa said. “Don’t think I’m defending the new F1. I’m on the side of the fans. But I completely understand the drivers. They love pushing to the limit, and this version of F1 doesn’t let them do that.”

Now serving as Aston Martin’s team ambassador, De la Rosa says he’s in a different role and tries not to judge the regulations emotionally. But he can’t ignore what he hears from Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

“I listen to Fernando and Lance and think, ‘Poor guys, they’re not enjoying this.’ And that bothers me,” he admitted. “Drivers have been saying it for months. There’s widespread dissatisfaction — except maybe at Mercedes. Everyone else is strongly against this level of electrification in F1.”

Performance frustration and safety concerns

De la Rosa believes the frustration comes from two separate issues. First, drivers feel they’re no longer pushing at the limit because they’re constantly managing energy. Second — and more serious — are the dangerous speed differences between cars.

That gap was on full display in Suzuka, where Bearman’s collision with Franco Colapinto resulted in a brutal 50G impact.

“The FIA is going to use the April break to review the situation,” De la Rosa said, noting the widespread unrest across the paddock.

Still, he trusts the governing body to make the right adjustments.

“There isn’t a lot of room to change things, but there are ways to reduce those massive speed differences for safety — like lowering battery recharge levels,” he explained. “When it’s time to criticize the FIA, I’m the first to do it. But they’ve done an incredible job improving driver safety. We have to trust they’ll find a good solution. There’s time to talk, adjust, and bring something better for Miami.”

“There will be improvements — we’ll move forward”

De la Rosa also reflected on the weekend for Spain’s two drivers in Japan.

“For us, the goal was modest: finish the race — and Fernando did that in 18th,” he said. “Carlos (Sainz) made it into Q2 and finished 15th, which was a solid result. Both teams have a lot of work ahead. We’ve got months to improve, and we will improve — we just don’t know by how much.”

At Aston Martin, he says, the effort is nonstop. “We’re working day and night, both us and Honda. There will be upgrades. We’re going to push, and we’ll come out stronger.”

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