Formula 1’s shift to hybrid powertrains starting in 2026 has drawn sharp opinions across the motorsport community, but none as pointed as Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo’s. Longo criticized the hybrid Formula 1 format introduced this season as redundant and confusing, contrasting it with Formula E’s decade-plus experience in electric racing. He predicted that Formula 1 will eventually abandon its hybrid approach and revert to its traditional combustion engine roots.
Formula E has been pioneering electric single-seater racing since 2014 and gained official World Championship status from the FIA in 2020. Despite its technical innovation, Formula E has struggled with global popularity compared to Formula 1. The current Formula E season is underway, having started in late 2025 and recently paused in Madrid for its sixth round, with a finale planned for London in August 2026.
Longo explained that Formula E was designed to attract new fans through unique, efficiency-focused races, differing fundamentally from traditional motorsport’s emphasis on outright performance. This, he argued, sets Formula E apart from the hybrid Formula 1 format, which he described as ”making no sense” since it mimics elements Formula E has perfected over more than a decade. Longo also highlighted confusion among Formula 1 drivers regarding the hybrid systems-a complexity that fuels criticism from racing insiders.
Notably, Longo cited Max Verstappen’s outspoken dissatisfaction with the current Formula 1 hybrid rules as an indicator of deeper issues within the sport. Verstappen’s public criticism, he suggested, would be unacceptable in Formula 1’s management view, indicating pressure to reconsider or eventually discard the hybrid regulations. Longo’s prediction foresees a Formula 1 landscape that will move back to combustion engines and ”be true to their way of racing.”
Formula 1’s hybrid engines are part of a broader effort to blend sustainability with high performance; however, fan reactions remain split, unlike Formula E’s clearly defined electric platform. While Formula E focuses on energy efficiency and innovation in race formats, Formula 1 seems caught between tradition and modernization. This tussle highlights the divergent philosophies even within the FIA’s sanctioned trophies and raises questions about the future direction of top-tier motorsport.