Max Verstappen admits Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations have produced his least enjoyable generation of cars.
Pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain offered drivers their first extended experience of the sport’s radically revised machinery.
The new cars mark a clear departure from the ground-effect era, with reduced downforce, different tyres, and a greater reliance on electrical energy deployment.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast during testing in Bahrain, Verstappen explained how dramatically the driving style has changed.
“The car has less grip. It accelerates a lot faster out of the corner.
“Also, the whole layout of the car is completely different. The tyres are different, so the way you have to drive it around the corner is very different, because the grip is also generated a little bit differently, less through the floor.
“You are sliding around probably a little bit more, and then you have more power coming out of the corner. So with less grip, that’s a bit harder to manage.”
According to the four-time World Champion, adapting to the new cars requires a reset in approach rather than the usual step forward drivers experience year to year.
“And of course, it depends also a bit what kind of corner you’re coming out of. So the lower speed corners, you’re just waiting a longer period of time to go full throttle.
“It is actually a bit of a change, I would say, to over the last few years, where you would jump back in the car in pre-season, and it’s like muscle memory, and it’s just a better car normally than the year before, and immediately you’re back into things, and it’s actually a very long day of just going through test items.
“But now, you definitely need to rethink your driving and approach a little bit as well.”
Management becomes the key theme
One word, Verstappen believes, will define the 2026 season: management.
The new power unit regulations place far greater emphasis on energy deployment and battery usage — an aspect several drivers have already raised concerns about.
Verstappen previously compared the experience to “Formula E on steroids,” highlighting the increased focus on efficiency rather than outright driving feel.
Asked where the new era ranks among the regulations he has raced under since debuting in 2015, Verstappen was blunt.
“Probably I would say least favourite,” he confirmed.
“But that is because I think the word that you can use for the whole year will be management. I think that’s the right word.”
Commitment unchanged despite concerns
Despite his reservations, Verstappen stressed that his motivation remains unaffected.
The 2026 season represents a major milestone for Red Bull, with its first in-house power unit developed alongside Ford making its competitive debut.
Early testing has so far delivered encouraging reliability for the newly formed Red Bull Powertrains operation.
“I mean, at the end of the day, when you go into competition, you will always do the best you can with what you have, because it’s the same for everyone,” Verstappen said.
“But, sometimes things can be more enjoyable than others, and for me personally, it’s not so enjoyable.
“But I do know, of course, that when I sit in the car, I will always give it my best, because also the people that have designed the car and the engine this year, it’s been honestly incredible to witness how these guys have started from zero and have given us a power unit that is running well. We don’t have any issues.
“Is it fast enough? I have no idea. We have to wait and see.”
Verstappen acknowledged the scale of the achievement behind Red Bull’s new engine programme, even while maintaining his personal doubts about the direction of Formula 1.
“But honestly, it’s just incredible to work with all these great people. And for me to then say that it’s the least enjoyable, is not very nice. But, I also want to say that I know that when I sit in the car, of course, I will always give it my very best.
“But, yeah, it’s just not really enjoyable. I mean, it’s not pure Formula 1.”
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