Four-time Formula 1 Drivers' World Champion Max Verstappen has shared his thoughts on the new cars for the 2026 F1 season. Despite topping the time sheets for most of yesterday's test day in Bahrain, the Dutchman is not a fan of the sweeping regulation changes.
The intention behind those has been to make the cars smaller and to increase overtaking opportunities. The Ground Effect era saw the sport's cars become too big for Monaco, for example, while overtaking was often restricted to the first corner of a race.
This year, there's also a greater focus on electrical output from the power units, with energy management expected to play a significant role in how the 22 drivers on the grid go racing. According to Verstappen, however, the changes may not have had the desired effect.
"It's not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as a driver; the feeling is not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids," he told the media today. "As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat-out. And at the moment, you cannot drive like that. There's a lot going on. A lot of what you do as a driver in terms of inputs have a massive effect on the energy side of things."
"And for me, that's just not Formula 1, because then maybe it's better to drive Formula E, right?" Verstappen continued. "Because that's all about energy, efficiency and management. That's what they stand for."
"Driving-wise, it's not so fun. But at the same time, I also know what is at stake with the team, with our own engine. And seeing the excitement of the people, of course, when I sit in the car, I will always give it my very best. They know that. "[But the] excitement level is not so high. And to drive," he concluded.
Verstappen is under contract until the end of the 2028 season, but as the longtime F1 fans of you will surely know, those deals are easily broken.
The Red Bull Racing driver has said on numerous occasions that he would leave Formula 1 if he no longer found it enjoyable, and between his SIM racing and recent foray into GT racing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, he has plenty of alternatives open to him.
"A winning car for me doesn't matter. It needs to be fun to drive as well, at this stage of my career," Verstappen shared. "I am course also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at. I know that we're stuck with this regulation for quite a while. So, yeah, let's see."
Verstappen elaborated on his feelings in an interview with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf when he said the new cars are "not even Formula 1-worthy." He added, "That you'll be driving slower through a corner to save more energy, so you can go faster on the straights. It makes absolutely no sense. Formula 1 should be about being as fast as possible and as fast as possible. This is completely unnatural."
There have been other similar grumblings throughout the field, with Esteban Ocon saying he believes overtaking will be harder than ever, and 7-time Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton bemoaning the handling of the new era of cars.
Needless to say, that first race in Australia next month promises to be very interesting...