Have Formula 1's new rules this year damaged its status as the ultimate challenge for a racing driver?

Listen to the sport's top drivers, and it would be easy to get that impression.

"Not Formula 1," says Max Verstappen of the need to manage energy in the new cars. "Ridiculously complex," says Lewis Hamilton. "The chef could drive the car at that speed," says Fernando Alonso. "Not the purest form of driving," says Lando Norris.

When the sport's four active world champions make comments like that, it would be foolish not to listen.

But before jumping to a conclusion that F1 has been ruined by what amounts to the biggest rule change in the sport's history, it's important to establish a frame of reference.