Max Verstappen has savaged the FIA for requesting feedback on the 2026 technical regulations just days before lights out at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Concerns over energy management have dogged F1 since pre-season testing, the 50:50 split between electrical power and internal combustion causing unforeseen issues.
The cars require up to 15 seconds to spool energy to deploy for race starts, leading to urgent changes on race starts being petitioned by the teams.
Drivers are now also having to aggressively downshift into corners, entering them at vastly reduced speeds, the cars dividing the drivers.
With Carlos Sainz revealing the FIA is requesting feedback on the new technical regulations from the drivers, Verstappen has made his thoughts on the request clear.
“Yeah, a bit late with that, right?,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week on Thursday.
“Everything, the amount of money that has been invested as well, you know into these regulations, it will be around for a while.
“So, I mean you could have seen this coming, that suddenly now things are raised a bit late.”
Uncertain expectations for Max Verstappen in Australia?
After showing strong energy management pace during pre-season testing, Verstappen and Red Bull enter the weekend as one of the favourites for victory.
However, the Dutchman tempered expectations but confirmed his contentment with his current package, doubling down on his criticism of the regulations.
“I have no idea, I’m very happy with what we did pre-season, ” he said.
“Its been a really great and proud moment how the whole project came together, through the engine and the car. I was very positively surprised at how everything felt.
“Also, you know, the rule changes have been really complex for everyone, but in terms of the feeling in the car, driving experience, between the engine and the car, it was good.
“Of course I’ve had my say on other things I didn’t like, but what happened here within the team has been really really good.
“So we are very happy with that and now of course looking on the performance side of things I think Yeah, we want to be a little bit faster and actually I think everyone always wants to be faster but from the things that I think we learned in in Bahrain at least we’re not the quickest.
But yeah, I have no idea. We’ll just see where we are here to start with.”
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