Max Verstappen has criticised the stiff nature of the current Formula 1 cars, stating that it takes away the magic of driving them.
Since the introduction of the 2022 technical regulations which brought back ground-effect downforce, drivers have been unhappy with how stiffly the cars are set up and their behaviour over bumps and kerbs.
A key goal of the new rules was to make following a rival car through corners easier by reducing the dirty air produced.
And while drivers praised the changes in 2022, this year it has been highlighted that it is once again becoming more difficult to follow due to the continued aerodynamic development from teams.
However, Verstappen says that overall, the cars are much more stable compared to previous generations.
“I think they are a bit more stable when you’re following,” he said. “Like, the other generation, you could have massive oversteer or understeer in high speed or low speed.
“Now, yeah, you lose downforce, but it’s a bit more understeer, a little bit more oversteer, nothing really drastic.”
But the two-time World Champion has taken issue with F1 continuously increasing the minimum weight of the challengers, making them less agile through corners.
“Because of the stiffness of the cars, how you have to run them, it takes a little bit of that magic away – especially on a street circuit where you could ride a kerb here and there,” he said.
“So yeah, that probably is a bit tough, around Baku, but also around Singapore, that makes it very hard.
“I think in general, what we have to try and get away from it – but it’s very hard – is just a weight increase.
“When you jump back in an old car, and you go out, you definitely feel the difference in how agile an old car was. But that’s like early, for me, early 2010. Before that, they were even lighter, right?
“So, I don’t know how we can solve that. Also the bigger wheels, they’re quite a bit heavier as well.
“That for me goes in the wrong direction. But I don’t know what we can do about you know, turning it around”
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