Max Verstappen’s first podium of the 2026 Formula 1 season—and his thrilling old-school battle with Lewis Hamilton in Canada—did little to change his opinion of the current state of Formula 1. Despite finally securing a top-three finish for Red Bull, the four-time world champion once again made it clear that he remains deeply unconvinced by the regulations introduced this season, particularly the complexity of the cars and power units.
Speaking after the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen argued that Formula 1 drivers would deliver compelling racing regardless of the machinery they were given, insisting that the spectacle comes from the talent behind the wheel rather than from the technical framework currently shaping the sport.
“This season I’ve driven different types of cars,” Max Verstappen explained in the post-race press conference, clearly referencing his recent GT racing experience. “Especially last week at the Nürburgring, I realised just how pure motorsport can be and how great racing can feel.”
“Here in Formula 1, most of the drivers are among the best in the world, so we would give you a great show and race each other hard and properly even if you gave us rental cars. So that aspect has nothing to do with the rules.”
Max Verstappen’s criticism was aimed primarily at the drivability of the current Formula 1 cars and the overwhelming level of technical complexity drivers are forced to manage while racing.
“For me, while driving, everything feels a bit confusing,” he told reporters. “This is not what Formula 1 should be. Everything is too complicated.”
The Dutchman then expanded on what he sees as the core problem with modern Formula 1, suggesting that even fans struggle to understand the sheer volume of operational rules drivers must constantly think about during a race: “Regarding most of the regulations, fans don’t even know what we are dealing with while driving—what is allowed when you’re behind another car or when you’re ahead, what we have to do on a formation lap or an out lap, or how much battery we are allowed to recharge. It’s a real shame that we have to focus on all these things.”
Max Verstappen made it clear that he hopes future rule changes will steer Formula 1 back toward a more natural and intuitive version of racing: “In my opinion, Formula 1 simply needs to be purer. I really hope what they’re trying to do for next year goes ahead, because I think it’s necessary—the bare minimum, really—to make the sport feel a bit more natural, a bit closer to normality, or at least a bit purer from a racing point of view.”
Still, the Red Bull driver ended on the same central message: regardless of the machinery, elite drivers will always create the spectacle.
“But as I said, give us any kind of car and we will always race, and we will always put on a great show.”
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