Mercedes dominated the opening weekend of the 2026 campaign after George Russell and Kimi Antonelli secured a 1-2 at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, despite Ferrari’s best efforts during the opening laps.

Following the first race, there were several very disgruntled drivers in the media pen as they doubled down on previous criticism from pre-season testing.

Reigning champion Lando Norris, who finished fifth in the Melbourne, had the most to say before and after the race, while Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were united in their criticism before Sunday’s race.

Here’s what F1’s champions had to say about the 2026 cars.

Hamilton: ‘New cars against F1’ but Aus GP ‘was fun’

Speaking to the media prior to the Australian GP, Hamilton remained critical of the 2026 cars, and said: “The power’s good when you’ve got it, it’s just it doesn’t last.

“We start the lap, half throttle coming through the last corner, and a third, a quarter of a straight, and then you go to full throttle. It’s completely against what Formula 1 is about – flat-out, full attack – and you’re lifting and coasting and stuff. That element is not very good and I don’t think the drivers particularly like it.”

However, following a fourth-place finish in Melbourne, the champion was more forgiving of the new cars, and said: “It was a really fun race and it felt good for me. A couple more laps and I would have had Charles, so I had great pace. Lots of positives to take from today.”

Verstappen: ‘Emotionally drained’ and seeking a change

Verstappen was the most vocal critic in the build-up to Melbourne, and his season got off to a nightmare start when he crashed out in Q1 on Saturday.

“I’m definitely not having fun at all with these cars. You can make up your mind, but if you look at the onboard, you see enough, right?” he said.

“The formula is just not correct, and that is something that is a bit harder to change, but we need to. It’s going to be a long season, that’s all I’m telling you.”

Verstappen also admitted he was ’emotionally drained’, and after recovering to sixth in Sunday’s race, told the media that he wanted to see change from F1 and the FIA.

Verstappen said: “I love racing, but you can only take so much, right? I think they’re willing to listen, the FIA and F1, but I just hope there is some action. I’m not the only one saying it. A lot of people are saying the same, be it the drivers or the fans.

“We just want the best for the sport. It’s not that we are critical, just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We want it to be Formula 1, you know, proper Formula 1 on steroids, but today, again, that was not the case.”

Norris: F1’s new cars ‘the worst’

Norris’ words perhaps rang out the loudest in the aftermath of Melbourne, stating clearly: “We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1 and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst. It sucks. Everyone knows what the issues are. It’s just the fact it’s a 50-50 split [between power from the combustion engine and electrical energy].”

Reflecting on the new way F1 goes racing in 2026, Norris highlighted his safety concerns and argued: “It is chaos, and we are going to have a big accident.

“Which is a shame because we are driving, and the ones just waiting for something to happen and to go quite horribly wrong, and that is not a nice position to be in.”

“Depending on what drivers do, you can have closing speeds of 30-50kph, and when someone hits another driver at that speed, you are going to fly and go over the fence and do a lot of damage to yourself and maybe to others and that is a pretty horrible thing to think about.”

F1 champions verdict on 2026 car

The verdict is emphatically in. Unless you’re a Mercedes or Ferrari driver, it’s difficult for drivers to see the positive side of the new regulations and cars.

Expect discontent to continue to bubble away as the season progresses, with the likes of Verstappen not the type to back down over changes they deem necessary.