Max Verstappen has said out loud what a lot of F1 insiders think but will not say: the 2026 cars are anti-racing, the rules reward energy management over flat-out driving, and it may be too late to fix it. Pundits and team principals have either defended the new era, urged patience, or pushed back in public. Behind that, the gap between what gets said on camera and what gets said in private is the story.
F1 Insiders Are Soft-Pedalling Verstappen’s Criticism Because Access and Contracts Depend on It
At the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen doubled down on criticism he has made since the new regulations landed. According to Nine, he declared that “nothing works” and that the experience was deeply frustrating. The Guardian reported in March 2026 that Verstappen said he does “not really enjoy driving the car” but does enjoy working with his team, and that he wished he had “more fun.” ESPN and Reuters have quoted him calling the rules “complicated to follow and explain” and “a bit late” to change, given the investment already committed. That is the public record.
Official and expert reaction has been carefully hedged. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali hit back at Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, saying it was “wrong” to speak negatively about the sport’s new direction, as reported by ESPN and GPFans. George Russell told RaceFans that Verstappen’s criticism was “valid” but that it was too early to judge the rules, noting it was only day four of a long development period. Martin Brundle, on Sky, pointed to historic lift-and-coast in F1 and suggested the new qualifying energy management was an extension of that, as reported by PlanetF1. So the broadcast and institutional line is: give the rules time, and do not trash the product.
Meanwhile, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has sided openly with Verstappen. GPBlog reported Marko saying the 2026 regulations inappropriately shift focus from driver skill to engineer optimisation and that the emphasis on engine and energy management is excessive. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz have also expressed sympathy with the criticism, as noted by GPFans. Data has started to back the drivers up: Motorsport by Apex reported that telemetry shows drivers having to lift off throttle hundreds of metres before braking in qualifying, and that gear and energy patterns have fundamentally changed. So a growing body of evidence and influential voices aligns with Verstappen, even as the official narrative stays cautious.
At the Chinese Grand Prix in March 2026, Verstappen’s weekend underlined the problem. He qualified eighth and described every lap as “like survival”; Red Bull’s setup changes made “zero difference,” according to Formula1.com. In the sprint he finished ninth, scoring zero points for the first time in his F1 career, and called the result a disaster, as reported by GPFans and his own news site. The same regulations he has criticised in press conferences and team radio are the ones the sport is asking fans and sponsors to embrace. When the star driver says he does not enjoy the car and that nothing works, the incentive for other insiders to disagree on the record is strong; the incentive to agree off the record is stronger.
What This Actually Means
The unspoken consensus among many insiders is that Verstappen is right about the 2026 cars. The reason more team bosses and pundits do not say so in public is straightforward: speaking out risks access, contracts, and relationships with the FIA and F1. Verstappen can afford to be blunt; he is the reigning star and has already warned he could leave if he stops enjoying it. For others, the incentive is to soft-pedal, praise the “process,” and avoid being the one who trashes the new era. That does not make the criticism less valid; it just makes the expert gap between what is said on the record and what is believed in private wider.
What Are the 2026 F1 Power Unit Rules and Why Are Drivers Complaining?
The 2026 Formula 1 regulations introduce a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power. Drivers must harvest and deploy electrical energy under strict constraints, which forces lift-and-coast, strategic downshifting on straights, and reduced throttle in high-speed corners to recharge the battery. Overtake, boost, and recharge modes create a tactical layer that many drivers and analysts argue works against pure racing. Verstappen has compared the cars to “Formula E on steroids” and “anti-racing,” and has said that as a driver he enjoys driving flat-out but currently cannot. The rules were announced in 2022; teams have already invested heavily, which is why Verstappen and others have said it is now “a bit late” to make meaningful changes, even as a drivers’ meeting to discuss concerns was brought forward to after the Chinese Grand Prix.