Is F1 heading for disaster? Max Verstappen becomes the latest superstar to rip 2026 regulations

Max Verstappen

Is F1 heading for disaster? Max Verstappen becomes the latest superstar to rip new regulations

The four-time world champion delivered a withering takedown in Bahrain

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Thursday 12 February 2026 22:30 Updated: 01:08

When you are a leading global sport and your two biggest stars rip the next iteration of your ‘product’ in the space of 24 hours, it cannot be a good thing - welcome to F1 in 2026.

We are about to witness (okay we already did get a tiny peek this week) massive new regulations sweeping into the sport. And so far the brave new dawn is shaping up to be more of a rude awakening.

The 22 drivers on the grid have a ton of new toys to play with on their brand new 2026 cars - everything from overtake mode to straight mode and corner mode. To name but a few.

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The only problem is, it appears they will now spend more time managing these tools (and conserving precious energy) instead of actually trying to drive faster.

That sounds like the antithesis of what F1 surely is supposed to be, and the brutal comments from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen over the past day or so appear to back that up.

The pair have 11 world championship titles between them, but neither it appears is really enjoying their work so far in 2026. Things are very different, and not in a good way.

Hamilton hit out at the complexities of the new cars and regulations on Wednesday during the first day of testing in Bahrain - summing his feelings up by revealing: "I sat in a meeting the other day and they're taking us through it. And yeah, it's like you need a degree to fully understand it all”.

RESULTS: Bahrain timesheets and laps as Ferrari in red-hot form

Verstappen goes off on new 2026 regulations

Fast forward a day and Verstappen faced the media at Sakhir on Thursday, when his take was especially brutal. It wasn’t just about how complex the rules will be for fans to understand, it was also about the enjoyment being sucked out of his job.

“To drive, not a lot of fun to be honest,” he admitted in a withering takedown.

The 28-year-old Dutchman added: “I would say the right word is management, but, at the other end, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, also, from the engine side for the guys.

'Formula E on steroids'

“So it’s not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as for a driver, the feeling is not very F1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids.”

Verstappen was at pains to point out he knows that every driver is currently facing the same issues as they build towards the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8. His complaints are purely about what he does for the experience of driving in F1.

“But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. That’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that and equal chances,” he continued.

“I don’t mind that, but, 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 have a massive effect on the energy side of things.

"And for me, that's just not Formula 1, because maybe it's then better to drive Formula E, right? Because that's all about energy, efficiency and management. That's what they stand for.”

A storm in a teacup? Or a major own goal for F1?

This isn’t just two drivers either voicing their concerns - we’ve already had Esteban Ocon speaking about the grim prospect of drivers lifting and coasting in qualifying. And Haas team-mate Oliver Bearman saying he felt ‘sad’ when he drove the 2026 car for the first time.

Just for good measure, Cadillac new boy Sergio Perez gave a similar take to Verstappen when he spoke to media on Thursday - also referencing Formula E in his comments.

All in all this is not a great look as we move closer to the season opener in Australia in under one month’s time. Being compared to a series which many F1 fans would consider inferior and full of gimmicks.

Only time will tell whether this is a storm in a teacup, or a major own goal.

F1 TESTING 2026: Bahrain schedule, start times and how to watch live

Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen 2026 regulations