Slams 2026 Formula 1 cars, says they belong in Formula E
“As a pure driver, I enjoy driving straight,” Verstappen said. he said. “And you can’t drive like that at the moment. As a driver, a lot of the things you do in terms of inputs have a huge impact on the energy side of things. To me, that’s not Formula 1,” he told the BBC.
“Sorry but this belongs to Formula E.”
2. Driving is no fun
“For me personally, it’s not that enjoyable,” Verstappen said of the driving style of his current Red Bull car.
“The feelings in real life are the same as in the simulator,” he said. “Sometimes things feel a little better or worse in the simulator, but this time it was essentially the same,” he said.
“At one point last year I deliberately said that I didn’t want to drive it in the simulator anymore. I felt very bad compared to last year, so I thought, ‘You know what, I’ll just focus on last year’s car in the simulation and we’ll see the rest this year’. That’s not good at all.”
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He even went so far as to say that the generally disliked ground-effect cars of the last four seasons were “still 10 times better than this one.”
3rd Amendment allows him to look at other racing series
“We’re still racing in Formula 1 and that’s great, but if you’ve already won and achieved everything then there’s not really a need for it.” [to stay around] “now,” he said, seeing auto sports.
“There are so many other good things you can do and I will definitely do them, maybe this year and also in the coming years.
“That certainly doesn’t help sustain for a very long period of time.”
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen says driving new cars will not be as fun as before.Credit: Getty Images
It’s no secret that Verstappen is looking at other racing series. His contract with Red Bull is extended until 2028, but he has negotiated several interim clauses, including one under which he has the option to leave if he is not one of the top two drivers after half the season.
His secret testing session at the Nürburgring in May 2025 under the pseudonym Franz Hermann (and in a Ferrari) has already become legendary and signaled participation in the 24 Hours event there. Verstappen also plans to attend Le Mans soon alongside Red Bull world champion Sebastian Vettel.
If current F1 cars don’t meet the requirements of wheel-by-wheel racing where the best driver wins, it’s easy to see how he might be attracted to rawer, more visceral forms of racing.
4. Technology rules make races chaotic
According to Verstappen, the best form of racing is a meritocratic race where the most talented driver takes the silverware. Max braces himself.
The current ruleset introduces all kinds of curveballs that create an unwelcome element of chaos, effectively allowing drivers to press a button on the steering wheel to unleash additional electrical power.
This includes the new-for-2026 Overtaking Mode, which uses electrical boost to replace the old Drag Reduction System. There is also a setting called Straight Mode, which instantly changes the aerodynamic balance of the cars by opening the front and rear wings on a straight road.
When asked about Transition Mode, Verstappen said: RacingNews365: “I don’t know how effective it is [it] “It will… maybe we need some bananas and a red peel.” Mario Kart video game series.
Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen (hidden) and Lando Norris after last year’s F1 season finale.Credit: Getty Images
5. His Red Bull might not be the fastest
While Verstappen relied on some outside help to take the 2021 title against a faster Mercedes-AMG car, his next three title wins have seen him undoubtedly the fastest car on the grid most of the time.
McLaren reversed this scenario in the later stages of 2024 and were clearly superior in 2025, but Verstappen still dragged Red Bull to within two points of the drivers’ championship.
Given that McLaren “gifted” eventual winner Lando Norris three points after a botched pit stop forced him to swap positions with Oscar Piastri at Monza, Max did the near impossible last year after coming back from a 100-point deficit.
Although it is too early to make a definitive statement about the pace of this year’s car series, testing in Bahrain shows that Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari have an advantage, while Red Bull is one step behind McLaren.
That may change when the lights go out in Melbourne, but the fact remains that any racing car is easier to like when it wins.
We expect complaints to increase if Max consistently misses out on podiums at Red Bull.
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“I just want to drive normally,” he said Race. “How it should be, without having to [think] Things like, ‘Ooh, if I brake a little longer, or less, or more, or one gear up or down,’ it affects performance on the straights so drastically.
“I also think that the grip at the moment is quite low with these tires and the car configuration.
“It is, I would say it is a big step to get back to the way it was before.”
