F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain – day three: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri among drivers on track
‘Driving-wise, it’s not so fun’ – Verstappenpublished at 12:31 GMT
Image source, EPA
Max Verstappen didn’t mince his words when asked to give his thoughts on the car he and the rest of the grid will be driving this season.
With a new power unit split 50-50 between the internal combustion engine and electrical power, the increased demands for energy management has led Verstappen to conclude the power units are “just not Formula 1”.
The Dutchman was keen to stress how hard all the teams have worked to comply with the 2026 rules but after completing his laps in the Red Bull, which is using its own engine for the first time this season, the key word is “management”.
He said: “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.”
