F1 News: Max Verstappen on "Terrible" 2026 Regulations - "It Should Be The Opposite"

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen speaks out on the 2026 regulation change.

Red Bull's star driver, Max Verstappen recently raised concerns over the 2026 Formula 1 engine regulations. 

These new rules demand a 50-50 combustion-electric power output split. The stipulations worry the Austrian team, who feel that the demands are excessive, particularly as they necessitate a “colossal” battery size and cooling needs.

In fact, Horner believes that these rules would lead to “drivers downshifting on straights to regenerate batteries”, a sentiment echoed by Verstappen after his Austrian GP victory. Verstappen explained, as quoted by The Race:

“That’s not the way forward.

“It looks like it’s going to be an ICE competition. So, whoever has the strongest engine will have a big benefit.

“But I don’t think that should be the intention of Formula 1, because then you will start a massive development war again, and it will become quite expensive to find a few horsepower here and there.

“It should be the opposite. Plus, the cars probably have a lot less drag so it will be even harder to overtake on the straight.

“Then you have the active aerodynamics, which you [the driver] can’t control, the system will control it for you. It makes it very awkward to drive because I prefer to control it myself.

Additionally, he expressed concern over the rise in development costs, the challenges of overtaking on straight stretches, and the complications from system-controlled active aerodynamics. He stated: 

“Of course, when you are behind someone maybe you need more front or more rear, this kind of thing. If the system starts to control that for you, I don’t think that’s the right way forward.

“Plus the weight is going up again. So, yeah, we have to seriously look at this, because ’26 is not that far away.

“It looks very bad, from all the numbers and what I see from the data already.

“It’s not something I am very excited about at the moment.

“It looks very bad, from all the numbers and what I see from the data already. It’s not something I am very excited about at the moment.”