Max Verstappen has launched a blistering attack on Formula 1's sweeping new technical regulations, branding the 2026 machinery "anti-racing" during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The four-time world champion held nothing back when addressing journalists on Thursday, delivering a withering assessment of the sport's most significant rule changes in its history.
"To drive, it's not a lot of fun, to be honest," Verstappen declared. "I would say the right word is management. It's not very Formula 1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids."
The Dutchman's remarks represent a stark rebuke of regulations designed to improve the racing spectacle, while he even went on to hint that he might quit the sport altogether.
Max Verstappen launched an incredible attack on Formula One's new rules
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The Red Bull driver's frustration centres on the new power unit configuration, which mandates a near-equal split between battery power and the internal combustion engine.
This fundamental shift has rendered the cars impossible to push to their limits, according to Verstappen.
"As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out and at the moment, you cannot drive like that," he explained.
"There's a lot going on. A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, has a massive effect on the energy side of things."
The champion described the current situation as being "energy poor," lamenting that braking adjustments and gear selections now dramatically influence straight-line performance.
New rules mandate a near-equal split between battery power and the internal combustion engine
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Verstappen's concerns have found an ally in Lewis Hamilton, who echoed similar frustrations about the new machinery.
The seven-time champion highlighted the extensive "lift-and-coast" techniques now required to preserve battery power throughout each lap.
"If you look at Barcelona, for example, we're doing 600 metres lift and coast on a qualifying lap. That's not what racing is about," Hamilton observed on Wednesday.
The Ferrari driver elaborated on the technical challenges, noting that insufficient energy recovery forces drivers into unusually low gears.
"We're going down to second and first in some places just to try to recover that extra bit of power," he added, describing the regulations as "ridiculously complicated."
Max Verstappen has even threatened to quit Formula One
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Perhaps most significantly, Verstappen hinted that his future in the sport remains uncertain amid these sweeping changes.
The regulations are expected to remain in place until at least 2030, a prospect that appears to weigh heavily on the champion's thinking.
"It needs to be fun to drive as well. I think, at this stage of my career, I am, of course, also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at," Verstappen revealed.
"I know that we're stuck with this regulation for quite a while. So, yeah, let's see."
Formula 1 officials have yet to respond publicly to the criticism from their most decorated current driver.