According to Motorsport.com, Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari has made his feelings clear on a major upcoming regulation change: he disagrees entirely with shortening Formula 1 grands prix. From the 2027 campaign onwards, a standard grand prix distance will drop from the traditional 305km down to 290km.
The reduction arrives as a direct consequence of reworked power units for 2027, which demand an increase in the output of the internal combustion engine relative to electrical energy. With fuel flow rising by 5%, the alternatives were either expanding fuel tank capacity—which would add unwanted weight to the chassis, directly contradicting the new rules—or trimming the race distance to eliminate the risk of cars running dry. At most circuits, this adjustment will shave roughly three laps off the current total.
That's where I think you want to see athletes just right on the edge, right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further,
Faced with the news ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton did not hold back. “I don't really know anything about it or any of the reasons they put behind it, I think the races should be longer because the races are physically easier than ever before,” he stated, pointing out that modern tyres like the Pirelli C3, 4, and 5 compounds can easily handle full race distances on a single stop.
For the Ferrari driver, who made his debut in 2007, cutting laps runs counter to what grand prix racing ought to be. He argued that the championship should test athletes to their absolute physical and mental limits, citing scorching races like Singapore and the upcoming return to Malaysia. “That's where I think you want to see athletes just right on the edge, right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further,” he said.
That return to Malaysia follows the cancellation of Bahrain due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, bringing the South-East Asian venue back onto the calendar for the first time since its 1999–2017 run. Hamilton, who won there in 2014 during his march to his second of seven titles, fondly recalled his past visits with previous employers McLaren and Mercedes. Welcoming the circuit back for its racing quality and intense heat, he called it a track that gives good racing for fans.
