The Race F1 Podcast HILL & HERBERT: Is F1 2026's Mario Kart style racing any good?
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Mar 22, 2026 Two former champions debate whether the 2026 rule changes have made racing more entertaining or artificially boosted action. They unpack team sandbagging, Mercedes' hidden pace and surprise qualifiers. Energy harvesting, boost strategies and lost high-speed thrills spark arguments about spectacle versus raw driver challenge. They also single out breakout young drivers and suggest technical tweaks to restore balance.
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Closer Corner Racing Enables More Overtakes
- The 2026 rules let cars follow closer through long medium-to-fast corners because they're not at the aerodynamic limit.
- Damon Hill explains harvesting/boost means cars aren't flat-out in fast corners so drivers can stay nearer and launch overtakes onto the straights.
Restore Fast Corner Flatness With Energy Tweaks
- Preserve fast‑corner testing by adjusting energy rules so drivers can push to the absolute limit through those sections.
- Damon recommends tweaks to stop drivers 'slowing down before they get there' and regain flat‑through corner bravery.
Harvesting Reduces High Speed Thrill
- Drivers miss the visceral high‑speed test because cars are deliberately slowing to harvest energy before fast corners.
- Johnny Herbert and Damon say this reduces the 'flat to the floor' bravery moments that defined older eras like Senna's or Mansell's high‑speed feats.