Max Verstappen slams new 2026 F1 regulations

Max Verstappen offered sharp criticism of the new 2026 cars in his first press conference since Bahrain. The four-time champion described the cars as "anti-racing" and stated they are "not fun to drive," comparing the experience to "Formula E on steroids" when asked about his first impressions of the Red Bull RB22.

"They're not very fun to drive, honestly. The right word is management. It's not very Formula 1," explained Verstappen in Sakhir, where the Dutchman detailed how the new regulations force constant adjustments to driving style in order to optimize energy recovery and usage.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

"We are energy poor. I just want to drive normally, like it should be, without having to think 'oh, if I brake a bit more or less, or use a higher or lower gear.' It massively impacts performance on the straights," added the four-time champion, who described the current grip level as "a big step backward" compared to the previous generation.

Verstappen's criticisms carry more weight considering that Red Bull Powertrains has operated without major issues over 223 laps accumulated across both days of testing. The Dutchman acknowledged the work of the engine division, which debuts in the category with a completely in-house project.

"I also know how much work has been done behind the scenes, especially on the engine side. It's not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as a driver about the sensations," explained Verstappen, who did not hide his discontent despite the power unit's strong initial performance.

F1 future conditional

The four-time champion directly linked his future in the series to the on-track enjoyment. "A winning car doesn't matter to me. It needs to be fun to drive as well. I think at this stage of my career, I'm also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun," stated Verstappen, whose contract with Red Bull runs until 2028 but who left open the possibility of retiring earlier.

"I know we're stuck with these regulations for quite a while. So we'll see," he replied when asked about his continued participation. The Dutchman joked about competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, an event that moved its dates to avoid clashing with the F1 calendar: "At least there you can drive flat out without managing the battery," commented Verstappen, who in previous years had expressed interest in competing in European endurance racing and other categories outside the Grand Circus.

Mercedes faces two problematic days

The W17 completed just 57 laps on Thursday, the lowest mileage of any team with both drivers available during the session. Kimi Antonelli was limited to three laps when the German car suffered an engine problem requiring a complete power unit change.

Andrew Shovlin, chief track engineer, explained that "changing the whole unit was faster than replacing the affected part, but unfortunately it meant we didn't get back on track with George until an hour into the afternoon." Russell recovered some of the lost ground with 54 laps in the second session, finishing fourth on time with 1:36.458. The Briton acknowledged that the team is behind on setup work having lost track time due to different problems on both days: suspension on Wednesday, engine on Thursday.

Antonelli has accumulated just 33 laps over two sessions, compared to Russell's 110, a gap that complicates development of the initial package for the Italian in his first season as a full-time driver.

Leclerc tops times with Ferrari

Charles Leclerc recorded 1:34.273 in the morning, improving by nearly a full second on his own time from Wednesday (1:35.190). The SF-26 has accumulated 270 laps over two days without any apparent issues, the second highest mileage of all teams, validating the initial reliability of the Ferrari power unit debuting under these regulations.

Lando Norris finished second with 1:34.784 despite running on medium compound tires for his fast lap, but the reigning champion completed 149 laps and led the individual mileage count, demonstrating that McLaren can accumulate workload without sacrificing pace.

Photo By Ferrari

Ollie Bearman completed 130 laps in his first full session with Haas, finishing third on time just over a second behind Leclerc. Red Bull lost valuable time when Isack Hadjar suffered a hydraulic leak that limited him to a single lap in the morning, although the Frenchman recovered in the afternoon with 87 laps and finished fifth on the timesheet. The RB22 has accumulated good mileage despite the setback: 223 laps between Verstappen and Hadjar over two days.

Alpine caused its third red flag since the Barcelona shakedown when Pierre Gasly stopped at Turn 1, accumulating just 97 total laps between both drivers. Aston Martin confirmed the difficulties mentioned by Lance Stroll on Wednesday: Fernando Alonso completed 98 laps but the AMR27 looked challenging to drive, with Mike Krack admitting they need to find more performance in Adrian Newey's first design for the British team.

Audi added 114 laps between Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg, continuing their debut with significant updates since Barcelona that drew attention from several teams due to the aerodynamic details. Williams recovered ground with 131 laps shared between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, continuing their catch-up process after missing the Barcelona shakedown due to manufacturing delays.

Results Day 2 F1 Pre-Season Testing 2026 Bahrain

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Best Time
1	#16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:34.273
2	#1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.511s
3	#87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.121s
4	#63	George Russell	Mercedes	+2.185s
5	#6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+2.288s
6	#5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+2.397s
7	#10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+2.450s
8	#77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.551s
9	#23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+2.956s
10	#27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+2.993s
11	#41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+3.197s
12	#55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+3.319s
13	#30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+3.744s
14	#11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+4.380s
15	#14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+4.687s
-	#3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	N/A
-	#12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	N/A
-	#18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	N/A
-	#31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	N/A
-	#43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	N/A
-	#44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	N/A
-	#81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	N/A