Not a fan of the new F1

Verstappen complains: “Like Formula E on steroids!”

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12.02.2026 22:28
Porträt von krone Sport
Von krone Sport

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is not impressed with the new Formula 1 cars following the biggest rule change in decades! Driving the cars, which now have a significantly larger electric component, is "not much fun," the Red Bull star explained on Thursday during test drives in Bahrain. It feels more like "Formula E on steroids," said the 28-year-old Dutchman – and not very much like Formula 1.

Fully electric Formula E is all about energy, efficiency, and managing all of that. "As a pure racing driver, I like to drive at full throttle, and at the moment you can't do that," Verstappen explained his reservations. "Everything you do as a driver has a massive impact on the energy side. For me, that's just not Formula 1."

At the touch of a button, drivers in the latest generation of cars can activate additional battery power. The "boost button" can be used all at once or spread out over the entire lap. In addition, there is the extra "overtake mode" – only possible if a driver is within one second of a competitor in front. Then, more electrical power is briefly called up, if available. The driver can only control the charging directly by taking his foot off the gas.

World champion Norris disagrees
Verstappen finds it all too complicated – yet he put in a lot of work in Bahrain and was the second fastest behind world champion Lando Norris in the McLaren at the start on Wednesday. On the second day, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc relegated Norris to second place in Sakhir. The latter completed no fewer than 149 laps on Thursday and couldn't really understand Verstappen's criticism. "It's a challenge, but a good challenge," said Norris. You have to drive in a slightly different way.

Norris snatched the world championship crown from Verstappen by two points last season. "I really enjoyed it. So yes, if he wants to step down, he can step down," the Englishman was quoted as saying by trade magazine Autosport after the second day of testing. "Formula 1 is changing all the time. We get paid huge sums of money to drive, so at the end of the day there's nothing to really complain about." Every driver is free to do something different.

After a third day of testing on Friday, another three days of testing are scheduled for next week on the desert circuit in Sakhir. The season begins on March 8 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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