Max Verstappen has been critical of the new-for-2026 F1 cars, built under a new set of technical regulations.
Jos Verstappen stated that “everybody was laughing” at his son Max when he first raised concerns about the 2026 F1 cars. The challengers this year were constructed under new regulations with changes in aerodynamics and power units, but Verstappen was unimpressed, calling the cars “Formula E on steroids” and “anti-racing.” Drivers now require careful management of energy harvesting and deployment, greatly affecting lap times. Verstappen emphasized that Max’s warnings were not new, as he had flagged these issues years before. The drivers raised concerns during pre-season testing regarding issues like the starting procedure and wheel-to-wheel racing with the new cars. Verstappen suggested that involving drivers in decision-making could prevent such problems in the future. He emphasized the importance of driver input in resolving issues related to racing.
