Editor's Desk: Have Formula 1 & FIA dug themselves a hole with 2026 regulations

To be honest, this piece has been triggered by what Max Verstappen said about the 2026 F1 cars over the course of the three-day test at the Bahrain International Circuit.

In classic Verstappen fashion, the four-time F1 Champion said what probably many wanted to but couldn't, wouldn't, or are scared to say.

Max basically said the cars were rubbish to drive and labeled them as Formula E cars on steroids, and in my book, that is the worst thing you could say about an F1 car, and coming from Verstappen makes you take note.

Lewis Hamilton gave some insights on the driving of the new cars, and while what he said wasn't as blunt as his Red Bull counterpart's statement, it was serious and should raise a red flag.

The seven-time F1 Champion spoke of how drivers would need to tackle corners in lower gear to compensate for the power unit's lack of grunt while also needing to decide when to brake or lift and coast in order to make sure the best lap time is achieved.

Now having to make decisions on when to use Boost and Overtake modes is one thing, and it is a sort of driver management we have seen before for the previous power units and even before that when managing KERS, but not to the same extent.

But when seeing the pinnacle of motorsport having cars that run out of juice on straights and lacking enough power when tackling corners is not progress. While change is good, F1 needs to make sure it is for the better.

I am sure cars will get faster, but the way they need to be driven—as we have seen so far—contradicts all that F1 is about, and from here comes Verstappen's grievance.

Max is a pure racer and will drive the wheels off anything with a steering wheel, something he has proven over and over when driving other categories, which makes his opinion of the new F1 cars even more worrying.

Hamilton somehow said the same thing as Verstappen but was more diplomatic, and while other drivers—Lando Norris—are apparently toeing the FOM PR bullsh!t line, naively hailing the change and "embracing the new challenge", the sport's bosses and governing body should take note and already be looking at the future.

The first race is less than a month away, and we can only speculate how the quality of the racing will be.

And while I have always maintained that F1 will always find the light at the end of the tunnel and that we always should keep our faith in it, this time I am worried.