Why Verstappen believes the simulator can’t replace the track. Max Verstappen enters 2026 with a bold approach.

Max Verstappen enters 2026 with a contrarian approach: while Formula 1 prepares for an unprecedented technical revolution, still largely relying on the virtual world, the Dutch champion rejects the idea of hiding behind the simulator and emphasizes the irreplaceable value of real track experience. In a paddock increasingly drawn toward complexity, he chooses the simplicity of the real steering wheel.

“I don’t spend too much time in the simulator”: Verstappen’s philosophy

On the eve of his twelfth Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen made his working method clear: fewer hours in front of simulator screens, more real kilometers on the track. During the presentation of Red Bull’s 2026 livery — applied to a dummy car ahead of the new model’s debut in the Barcelona tests — the four-time world champion explained his approach:

“Many of these things were decided late. I still have time to master everything. You don’t need to learn everything immediately: you need to get out, drive, test, optimize. That’s why I never spend too much time on the simulator before the car hits the track.”

For Verstappen, true feeling with the car comes only from direct contact, not a virtual environment that he considers useful but never decisive.

The challenge against McLaren and the uncertainty of new regulations

After narrowly missing his fifth consecutive title to McLaren, the dominant team of 2025, Verstappen knows that 2026 could open up even more unpredictable scenarios. “The gap will be bigger,” he admitted. “It’s always been like this with new rules: one or two teams start ahead of the others. Then, over time, everything evens out. But these rules seem complicated, and it won’t be easy for everyone to get up to speed immediately.”

He was referring to the technical revolution that will reshape aerodynamics, power units, and driving philosophy — a fertile ground for both surprises and mistakes.

Max Verstappen approaches 2026 with confidence born from experience and a well-established personal method: less theory, more practice. In a championship promising shocks and initial gaps, the Dutch champion relies on his most natural weapon: the ability to adapt quickly once on track. The hunt for McLaren has already begun, and Verstappen intends to do it his way, hands on the steering wheel rather than on the simulator keyboard.