Max Verstappen says Formula 1 still feels “very different” as Red Bull search for answers at Suzuka

That backdrop matters. While McLaren has also stumbled badly out of the blocks and the competitive order remains unsettled, Verstappen’s focus was firmly on extracting more from Red Bull’s current package before the championship resumes in full after Japan.

Speaking to journalists ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen struck a measured tone on both the car and the sport’s new qualifying format, admitting the latest energy management tweak is only a small step rather than any meaningful reset.

On the current Red Bull, Verstappen made it clear there is still belief inside the team: “That’s what we’re working towards. There is a lot of potential in the car.”

That optimism, however, comes with a caveat. The performance is not yet where it needs to be, and the work remains forensic rather than dramatic: “We just need to understand a few things that went wrong in the last race. We need to keep working and adding performance step by step.”

The timing of the break in the calendar, forced by the cancellation of the Gulf rounds, now offers teams a rare chance to step back and re-evaluate. For Verstappen, that pause is welcome: “The break we have now is a good opportunity to analyse everything and come back stronger for Miami.”

If there was one theme running through Verstappen’s media session, it was acceptance rather than enthusiasm over how the 2026 cars behave.

Asked about the FIA’s late change to qualifying energy recharge for Suzuka, he stopped short of calling it a fix: “I haven’t practised it on the simulator, so I can’t give you a clear answer. Before, it wasn’t really flat out. So I hope this brings it closer to being flat out.”

That is the issue in simple form. Drivers are still talking about recovery, deployment and restraint in corners where they used to talk only about commitment.

Verstappen did not dress that up: “Of course, it feels very different to last year, but this is the reality now and you have to accept it.”

He went further, pointing to a deeper problem that one qualifying tweak will not erase: “Going to eight megajoules will help a little bit, but the basics remain the same. You still have to be careful with throttle inputs. That’s very different to the past.”

That is where Suzuka enters the argument. This is a circuit built on rhythm, bravery and carrying speed through iconic corners. Winner here last year pictured above, Verstappen knows exactly what is being lost: “Before, you were always on the limit of what the car allowed. Now, in some places, you’re not.”

That is as clear a verdict as any driver has offered. The challenge is still there, but it is no longer the same challenge.

Verstappen’s broader comments suggested a driver who still believes the package can be improved, but who is under no illusions about the size of the task.

There was no panic in his answers, but no false comfort either. The line was consistent throughout: understand the weaknesses, improve the details, and keep building.

That approach fits where Red Bull are right now. The team are not talking in absolutes. They are talking in increments.

For Verstappen, the objective is straightforward. Find out what went wrong, correct it, and give himself a car that allows him to attack more naturally again. Until then, the compromise between driver instinct and energy management remains one of the defining frustrations of this new era.

Away from Formula 1, Verstappen also reflected on his recent Nürburgring Nordschleife outing, where he crossed the line first in GT3 machinery before the result was wiped out by a post-race disqualification for a tyre rule breach. The Mercedes AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry was excluded after using 7 sets of tyres instead of the permitted 6, turning what looked like victory into a harsh operational lesson. 

Even so, the experience itself clearly mattered more than the final classification. Verstappen reflected: “Overall it was a great weekend. We had a really good time together with my teammates as well.”

He accepted the mistake without lingering on it: “It’s a shame to lose it, but at the same time it probably puts the team on point. Maybe we needed that a little bit.”

What stayed with him was the feeling of the event and the quality of the programme around it: “The overall working experience was really good. The engineers know what they’re doing. They’ve been incredibly successful for a while in GT racing. So for me, overall, it was a really fun weekend.”

That enjoyment came through strongest in his final reflection: “It’s impossible to compare, but I’ve wanted to do that for a while. It’s something I really enjoy. Every time I jumped out of the car, I was smiling, and I think that’s always a good sign.”

That may be the most revealing line of all. Suzuka comes with pressure, compromise and unresolved questions. The Nordschleife, even with the win taken away, still gave Verstappen something simpler: the pure satisfaction of driving at the limit.
(Reporting by Agnes Carlier from Suzuka)