Max Verstappen is no stranger to provocative statements, but there is a subtle difference between a driver speaking on instinct and one speaking after having seen something before everyone else. Back in 2023, while he was dominating the field without rivals, he had already issued a warning: the 2026 regulations would transform Formula 1 into something different, something that no longer felt like it belonged to him. At the time, it sounded like an exaggeration, an alarm raised far too early.
Today, however, as the new era begins to take shape—with “yo-yo” overtakes, power units deciding when to deploy energy, and cars forcing drivers to operate in ways that feel unnatural—those words carry a very different weight. This is not just a technical issue. It is a matter of identity. And the fact that Verstappen had already described, with unsettling accuracy, what we are witnessing now makes it even harder to ignore.
When Verstappen criticized 2026 before it even arrived
Max Verstappen has never been one to hold back. As early as pre-season testing, he labeled the new regulations as “anti-racing” and “a Formula E on steroids,” criticizing the heavy reliance on electrical energy, which he believed would turn driving into an exercise in management rather than outright speed.
His concerns were clear: drivers being forced to lift off on straights, downshift at full throttle, coast through corners, and rely on super clipping to recover energy. That is exactly what is happening today.
And when he was told that the 2026 Australian Grand Prix had recorded 75 more overtakes compared to the previous year, his response was cutting:
“If someone likes this, then they don’t really understand what motorsport is.”
It was not frustration from a difficult start to the season—he currently sits ninth in the standings—because he had already expressed these views when he was winning everything.
The 2023 words that now sound like a prophecy
At the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, when questioned by Autosport following concerns raised by Christian Horner, Max Verstappen had already seen the bigger picture. He had studied simulator data and discussed it with his team. His assessment was precise:
“I’ve spoken about it with the team as well, and I’ve already seen the data on the simulator. To me, it looks pretty terrible. If you go flat-out on the Monza straight, I don’t know how far it is, maybe 400 or 500 meters before the end of the straight, you have to downshift at full throttle because that’s faster. I think that’s not the way forward. Obviously, that’s probably one of the worst tracks for it.”
That line—“downshifting at full throttle”—has become symbolic of the new era. And today it is reality: Melbourne and Suzuka have clearly demonstrated exactly that behavior.
He then added:
“For me, the problem is that it looks like it will become a competition between internal combustion engines, where whoever has the most powerful engine will have a big advantage. But I don’t think that should be the intention of Formula 1.”
And further:
“Also, the cars will probably have much less drag. So it will be even harder to overtake on the straights. And then I think, yes, there is active aerodynamics that you can’t control. The system will control it for you. Which, for me, makes driving very uncomfortable, because I prefer to control things myself.”
Finally, he concluded:
“Also, the weight is increasing again. We need to seriously look into this because 2026 is not that far away. At the moment, in my view, the situation looks really concerning.”
Some of his predictions did not come true—the minimum weight has been reduced, and active aerodynamics are controlled by the driver—but the core of his criticism is now at the center of the debate: driving is no longer entirely in the hands of the driver.
A present that mirrors his concerns
The complaints voiced by Verstappen and Lando Norris after Suzuka confirmed the issue: the car decides when to deploy power, not the driver. This behavior alters wheel-to-wheel battles, drains battery energy at the wrong moments, and turns overtakes into unpredictable, sometimes random events.
It is the same logic Verstappen feared back in 2023: a Formula 1 where the algorithm matters more than the driver’s right foot.
That is precisely why, three years later, the debate is no longer theoretical. The 2026 version of Formula 1 is already here, with its limitations and its promises. Some of Verstappen’s fears proved unfounded, but others now appear almost prophetic when compared to what is unfolding on track.
And while the FIA continues to defend the direction taken, one question remains unanswered: can Formula 1 innovate without losing its core identity, or does 2026 truly mark the beginning of something fundamentally different?
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