Lewis Hamilton is worried that Formula 1 cars will be "pretty slow" when new design rules come into force.
New design rules will come into force from 2026 which will change how cars look and work. First images of the new machines were released by the FIA on Thursday, along with confirmation of many of the tweaks being made to the rulebook.
Significantly, the existing Drag Reduction System (DRS) is being replace with a power boost option for drivers which will essentially work as a 'push to pass' system. Using the system will give them extra speed and, the FIA hopes, will promote more overtaking.
The cars are also set to be lighter, narrower and shorter, after plenty of complains over the size and weight of the current generation of racing machines. But the announcement prompted an underwhelmed response from Hamilton.
Asked for his thoughts on the proposed changes, the seven-time F1 champion said: "It's only 30kg [lighter] so it's going in the right direction, but they're still heavy. I've spoken to some drivers who have driven it on the simulator - I haven't - and they said it's pretty slow, so we will see if it's the right direction or not.
Inside the driver call which upset Red Bull and changed the course of F1 history"But in terms of sustainability, particularly on the power-unit side, that's a really bold step and it's going in the right direction. We have just got to make sure the cars are efficient, fast and a step forwards and actually racing is improved."
Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas was mostly positive in his assessment of the new regulations. But he too has a concern over the performance of the cars, which will run on new engines using a 50/50 split of internal combustion and electrical power, consuming sustainable fuels.
The Finn said: "A new era of regulations is always exciting, brings opportunities to different teams. It's nice to see a change. I do like that the cars are slightly smaller. Obviously, it's a small step. But I think it's in the right direction. Same thing with the weight. It's a good one.
"I still haven't, in the simulator, tried the new power unit settings, let's say, so I can't really give much on that. But if it's more total power and a bit more freedom on the energy usage in terms of the the race tactics, I think that's positive. So for now, I don't see any red flags.
"I would say that the only worry I have is overall performance and the downforce level. I've heard some rumours that it is quite a lot less grip overall, which I don't know how much it's going to be and I think that's what we're going to figure out."