Max Verstappen says most drivers share his view on new Formula 1 rules

The Dutchman did not pull any punches when asked what he thought about the 2026 F1 cars, saying it felt like he was driving in Formula E.

Facing the media in Bahrain on the first day of the final preseason test, he claimed he was not the only driver with a negative view on the new rules, saying: "“Most of them think the same way.”

The likes of Lando Norris and George Russell do not agree with the Dutchman, so when it was suggested to him that two camps are emerging, he quipped: "That one camp is more like a small easy-up tent; the rest are in a very big tent. So it’s one small camp and one big camp!

“I might be a bit more extreme in how I say it, but that’s also because I don’t really care that much [about what others think]. Some people are a bit more diplomatic," he explained.

Verstappen pointed out not everyone was pleased with his statements on the new cars, especially on the commercial side, and there have been reports that the commercial rights holders were not happy with the negativity.

When asked if he had been contacted by someone in that regard, Verstappen said: “No, I haven’t heard anything. And I haven’t really been concerned with that either. I just gave my honest opinion, and I think that should be allowed.”

There are further concerns regarding the race starts with drivers having to rev the engines high to spin the turbos enough. Also, there is a danger when a driver is lifting and coasting with a car behind closing in at dangerous speeds. There is the apparent difficulty in overtaking as well.

These three points were highlighted by McLaren boss Andrea Stella, and Verstappen gave his take on them.

He said: “The last two things, yes, but I already said that back in 2023. You can raise those points now, but maybe they should have looked at it a bit earlier as a team.

“As for the start, that’s simply the choice you make with the turbo. We consciously made a certain decision there. And those who have problems with it, well, they can also start from the pitlane.

"Then you’re out of everyone’s way, and you can just join the race from there,” he joked.

The Red Bull ace went on reminding people of early warnings he issued when he first tried the 2026 car on the simulator.

He said: “When I said those things in 2023, I immediately got a lot of criticism. They told me, ‘No, that’s not correct, and it won’t be like that’. But now it turns out that for 90% it actually is like that.

“You could see this coming," he went on. "In recent years, not that much has changed, just a few small things in terms of how you deploy and harvest the energy. But yes, you could see this coming from a long way off."

The four-time F1 Champion pointed out more issues to be wary of; he said: "There are also a few other things.

"With the wings open on the straights, everyone has a lot less drag, which makes it harder to pick up a slipstream. And when the wings close again at the end of the straight, you bottom out quite hard.

"The downforce that suddenly comes onto the tyres also affects a lot of things. You have to take all of that into account," Verstappen concluded.