Source : ABC NEWS
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says the 2026 cars are “not so fun”, claiming the increasing energy management demands on drivers are “just not Formula 1”.
The 2026 season is the first under the new regulation cycle. Rule changes have been made to the engine, chassis and tyres, in one of the biggest regulatory overhauls the category has ever undergone.
But the new regulations place heavy demands on energy management, with engines now approaching a 50-50 split in power between the internal combustion and electrical components of the power unit.
The demand for energy management is leading to some unusual driving styles to harvest energy to ensure the engines have enough power to produce suitable lap times.
F1 cars recover energy during braking, lifting off the accelerator and coasting on straights, going around corners with engines at high revs, and running the electrical motor against the engine at 100 per cent throttle.
For Verstappen, the demands of energy management are taking away the enjoyment of being in F1 “as a pure driver”.
“The right word is management. But on the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background. Also from the engine side, for the guys. So it’s not always the nicest thing to say,” he told media, including BBC Sport.
“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.
“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, has a massive effect on the energy side of things.
“For me, that’s just not Formula 1. Maybe it’s better to drive Formula E, right? Because that’s all about energy efficiency and management. That’s what they stand for. Driving-wise, it’s not so fun.”
F1 has gone through a regulation overhaul for the 2026 season. (Getty Images: NurPhoto/Alessio Morgese)
Formula E is an all-electric racing series that began in 2014.
In that category, cars have a set amount of energy for the race. Drivers will use energy management techniques, such as coasting, to ensure they have enough power to reach the finish.
In F1, engines can go from fully charged to empty several times in a lap.
F1 cars will not always have enough energy to be at full speed, which, for Verstappen, is taking the category further away from its roots.
“All the good drivers will be able to adapt to it. That’s not the problem, but it’s just the whole way of racing is changing, and I would say less pure,” Verstappen said.
“I just want normal driving, just how it should be, without having to, ‘oh, if I brake a bit longer or less or more, or one gear up or down’, you know, stuff like that, that it so heavily impacts the performance on the straights.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets on the second day of preseason testing in Bahrain.
The Monegasque driver produced a best lap time 1 minute 34.273, while also completing 139 laps.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris was second fastest, more than half-a-second slower than Leclerc’s best time, while completing 149 laps in his McLaren.
Several top drivers, including Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton did not drive on Thursday and will get their opportunity on Friday.
