MotoGP icon Casey Stoner weighs in on ‘overcomplicated’ F1 2026
Casey Stoner had his say on F1 2026
Australian motorcycle racing icon Casey Stoner says there are “ups and downs” with the F1 2026 regulations, such as the “overcomplicated” electronics.
Stoner gave his verdict on Formula 1’s new era while speaking with Martin Brundle at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The conversation included an intriguing Brundle comment of: “We’ll like them in the end.” That marks a contrast to when Brundle, with “a tear in my eye,” was calling for the demise of this ruleset.
Intriguing Martin Brundle verdict as Casey Stoner talks F1 2026
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Stoner, the two-time MotoGP world champion from Queensland, Australia, was on the grid at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, the final round before the summer break.
Formula 1 and MotoGP are both owned by Liberty Media.
Martin Brundle, who was conducting his iconic ‘grid walk’ segment on Sky F1, headed over for a chat with Stoner, and asked him what he thinks about the new F1 2026 regulations.
The new chassis regulations have proven popular, with drivers able to follow each other much better in the first-half of F1 2026.
It is the power units which have polarised drivers and fans alike.
With the near 50/50 split of electrical energy and internal combustion power, various drivers have spoken out about the impact on track.
Oscar Piastri, for example, bluntly said that F1 2026 “sucks” after the Belgian Grand Prix.
“When you’ve got qualifying grids decided by computers behaving or misbehaving, it’s a pretty crap way of going racing,” he added when speaking with PlanetF1.com and others.
Piastri’s fellow Australian could understand that point of view.
“There’s some ups and downs with the regulations,” said Stoner.
“I think they are overcomplicated with the electronics. Just understanding some of the nuances and difficulties these drivers have to deal with.”
Then came an interesting Brundle response of: “But they’re good anyway, we’ll like them in the end.”
Granted, Brundle was trying to make a quick exit from the conversation with the national anthem about to start, but it was a striking U-turn.
An additional feature of the F1 2026 competition to face scrutiny at times is energy harvesting and deployment. Though the FIA took steps to address this, the visits to Silverstone and Spa – high-speed, or ‘energy poor’ circuits – stirred up fresh criticism as drivers battled to keep the battery topped up.
Brundle was among the critics.
“I think they’re all struggling to really fully understand it, to be honest,” said Brundle of the drivers and these rules.
“I’ve got a bit of a tear in my eye because we’ve lost all the great corners at Silverstone, and here we are at Spa with the same situation.
“These new regulations hurt us on the high speed circuits.
“We’re doing something about it for ’27 and ’28, and we have to get rid of this concept as soon as possible in 2030 or 2031.
“That aside, this is what we’ve got. When I’m out on track on a Friday, wow they look fast. And when they’re side by side and ducking and diving, it looks a lot of fun to watch.
“But for now, they’ve got to get on top of the complexities, and there are a lot of them.”
To Brundle’s comment, Stoner did highlight an area of F1 2026 which he enjoys.
“I like how much power there is, that’s for sure.”
Latest F1 2026 talking points via PlanetF1.com
Watch: Will Carlos Sainz stick or twist in F1 2027 season?
Lewis Hamilton offers personal verdict on much-improved F1 2026
At the F1 2026 summer break, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship by 50 points from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: George Russell faces one unexpected problem in Kimi Antonelli title fight
