Max Verstappen delivered a blunt assessment of the 2026 Formula 1 cars after Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, claiming that the lack of electrical deployment through Spa-Francorchamps’ middle sector made his car feel less powerful than a Formula 3 machine. The Dutch driver also suggested that several of the circuit’s famous corners had become too easy to take flat out.
The onboard footage highlighted the unusual behaviour of the current cars at Spa, where the power units’ dependence on battery energy can leave drivers completing large parts of the lap with limited electrical assistance. At one of motorsport’s most demanding circuits, Verstappen believes that this creates a driving experience that falls short of what Formula 1 should deliver.
Max Verstappen criticises 2026 F1 cars at Spa
Spa-Francorchamps is one of Formula 1’s legendary venues, but the characteristics of the 2026 power units have created a difficult energy-management challenge. With the cars requiring significant electrical power across a long lap, the battery cannot always provide maximum assistance throughout every section.
That issue was particularly evident during qualifying, when drivers had to manage energy deployment across the circuit rather than use full electrical power continuously. The FIA had already introduced measures that increased the importance of MGU-K management at Spa.
Speaking after qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen did not attempt to soften his opinion of the experience.
“For most of the second sector, you are driving only with the internal combustion engine, which perhaps has less power than an F3 car, with the difference that we have more downforce,” Max Verstappen said. “I adapted to it, but it is not what I enjoy doing.”
Verstappen says some Spa corners have become too easy
The Red Bull driver explained that his car appeared to reach a performance ceiling during qualifying. Although he continued to improve his lap time, the gains became increasingly small because several corners were already being taken at full throttle.
“The car had plateaued, and each time I improved only slightly,” Max Verstappen added. “It is something we will have to review. Perhaps some corners were too easy to take flat out.”
Traditionally, taking a Spa corner flat out has been associated with confidence, aerodynamic grip and exceptional commitment. Under the 2026 regulations, however, some corners may have become easier because the cars reach them at lower speeds after electrical deployment begins to reduce.
The effect is linked to the balance between the internal combustion engine and electrical power. Once battery assistance decreases, acceleration weakens, meaning the driver can arrive at the following corner with less speed than the car’s aerodynamic potential would otherwise allow.
Hadjar’s tow helps Verstappen secure the front row
Despite his criticism, Max Verstappen qualified on the front row. He credited teammate Isack Hadjar for providing a valuable slipstream during the decisive Q3 run.
Red Bull’s straight-line performance had been one of the areas under examination during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, alongside questions over the team’s rear-wing configuration at Spa. Hadjar’s tow helped compensate for part of that deficit and gave Verstappen a substantial gain on the straight.
“I was flat out, and I would even have pushed him,” Max Verstappen joked. “I think that without the tow, I would have been two or three tenths slower. I will buy him a Red Bull.”
The slipstream therefore proved crucial to Verstappen’s qualifying result, allowing him to start from the front row despite his concerns over the car’s straight-line speed and energy deployment.
Spa highlights the challenge facing the 2026 regulations
Verstappen’s comments raise a broader question about whether the 2026 Formula 1 power-unit formula is providing the right type of performance at circuits such as Spa. The increased electrical contribution was introduced as a central element of the new regulations, but the long lap and extended full-throttle sections place exceptional demands on the available battery energy.
Teams must therefore decide where to deploy electrical power and where to accept reduced performance. The result can be significant derating before the end of a straight or extended periods in which the car relies primarily on the internal combustion engine.
The weekend’s technical developments at Spa showed how teams attempted to balance downforce, drag and energy efficiency. However, Verstappen’s verdict suggests that the driving spectacle produced by that compromise may require further consideration.
Although the four-time world champion adapted well enough to secure a front-row start, he made it clear that taking famous Spa corners flat out because of reduced power, rather than exceptional performance, is not the type of Formula 1 experience he wants.
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