Formula E is trying to recruit Max Verstappen: after his criticisms of the new F1 cars, the series’ CEO has offered the Dutch driver a “secret test.” A track session anywhere in the world, with no media or cameras, on one condition: that the four-time world champion later gives his brutally honest opinion on the Gen4 car.
Tensions are rising with the approach of the Australian Grand Prix. The first race of the year will be an important moment of truth for fans and insiders alike. It could either dispel the most catastrophic predictions about the new regulations or confirm what Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have already expressed, both highly critical of the new Power Units.
Verstappen had previously compared the cars to “Formula E on steroids,” and the electric racing series responded. CEO Jeff Dodds, who has long been active in recruiting Formula 1 talent, made an enticing offer: a “secret test,” away from media and cameras, to experience the true performance of the Gen4 car.
Formula E’s offer to Max Verstappen
“What I hear from him is: I just want to get in the car and drive it to the limit, and this situation doesn’t allow me to do that,” Jeff Dodds explained to RacingNews365. “If Formula 1 continues adding more electric components, the cars will simply become slower. It’s physics: you can’t add weight and expect the car to go faster.”
“It would be interesting to know [Verstappen’s opinion] on where Formula E is heading, and the first way to do that would be to try it in a Gen4, because for us it represents a big step forward. My invitation would always be the same: no press, no cameras, nothing at all. I’ll put a car on track anywhere in the world he wants; he can have it for a full day and do whatever he likes.”
“I would set only one condition: that in the end, as Max always does, he gives me an honest opinion about what he thinks. Because I believe he would be quite impressed by the direction we are taking,” concludes the Formula E CEO.
As the debate over the soul of 2026 continues, Dodds’ invitation highlights the growing technical crossover between the two series. While F1 struggles to balance its hybrid identity with the raw performance drivers crave, Formula E is eager to show that purpose-built electric racing has reached a level of sophistication that even the most skeptical champions would appreciate. Whether Verstappen takes the bait remains to be seen, but a “brutally honest” review from the Dutchman could be the ultimate marketing tool—or a devastating critique—for the future of electric motorsport.
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