The new-for-2026 Formula 1 cars have ignited a debate about the direction in which the sport is going with Formula E increasingly used as a reference.
While this may be the best publicity Formula E can get, the association of Formula 1 with the all-electric series can never be a good thing for a series that is considered the pinnacle of motorsport.
But the new generation of F1 cars is heavily reliant on electric power, with early signs that this may be the wrong direction for the sport.
Driver comments so far have not flattered the new cars, with four-time F1 Champion Max Verstappen being the most critical or blunt, while only Lando Norris and George Russell have issued positive sentiments so far.
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert gave his take on the matter with Verstappen's recent comments in mind.
He said: "F1 is moving in a similar direction to where Formula E has gone, where electrification has become very important. Max Verstappen is saying this is not something he will enjoy because the technology has really changed the way he drives.
"I can see frustrations from the driver because the technology is now so much more important. I know with Max, he likes that pure driving experience, and that's probably really not quite the same as it once was.
"I think they're always going to get frustrated. They're never going to be the perfect driving tool. They're all going to be very, very different, and the challenge is still going to be there because it's just a different challenge," he explained.
But is it fun?
That is the question Herbert presents and goes on to answer: "For most drivers, the fun element is always a big part for us drivers in these cars.
"If that fun is not there, then there's always a chance that you know you could go to Le Mans and get that fun back," the Briton added, referring to the potential exit of Verstappen from the sport.
"Le Mans is a very different race; it's a long-distance race," Herbert continued. "You drive flat out. You can have a different type of fun because the car still allows you to go racing; the overtaking is mad."
Verstappen is known to have tried his hand at other categories and has done that successfully, as was the case in 2025 in GT cars.
Herbert added: "But then he does his GT racing; that hasn't got all this technology on it. So, there are things that potentially sway him.
"Is Formula 1 still the ultimate? Yes, it's just a different ultimate than it once was. The driver experience is not as raw as it once was."
There is a risk that Verstappen finds enjoyment somewhere else
Verstappen has always maintained that he needed to have fun driving an F1 car aside from winning, but Herbert believes there is a risk the Dutchman may find his satisfaction somewhere else.
He said: "I can see that from a challenge point of view that it is not the same as it once was. So, if the challenge is less than it was for Max Verstappen, then he's not having as much fun; he might think he can have more fun going elsewhere.
"We do not want to see that, but it is a risk," the former F1 racer warned. "We don't want to see drivers leaving the sport because they feel that the cars are not exciting enough for them to drive.
"F1 is about the drivers and the characters of those drivers," Herbert pointed out. "We don't want the characters to come out in a negative way where they're talking it down and say the sport is going in the wrong direction. For me it's really down to the human element being the most important part of it.
"It's like anything; when technology comes in, it does change the dynamic of the driver. There's only thing I never ever want to change, I want the gladiators, that's the drivers, to be able to drive as fast as they possibly can, in the most natural way.
"It's a very different way of driving, but I think the purity of it shouldn't be lost. It is the human who should make the difference, not the technology," the 61-year-old concluded. (Source: Snabbare)
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