F1 still 'not what it should be about’ - Max Verstappen unmoved on rule tweaks

Max Verstappen’s stance on Formula 1 remains unchanged despite changes to the rules that were introduced at the Miami Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver has been the most vocal critic of the 2026 engine regulations and has repeatedly made a series of disparaging comments about the new style of racing in F1.

Verstappen went as far as to say the new cars have made him question his future in F1, before a raft of rule tweaks were announced during the enforced April break.

The main aim of the changes was to allow drivers to push more flat-out in qualifying, and to reduce drastic closing speeds during the races.

But four-time world champion Verstappen, who ahead of the Miami weekend described the tweaks as “a tickle”, insists the changes haven’t gone far enough.

"My car drives a bit better, but what I said before about the regulations is still the same,” Verstappen responded to a question from Crash.net after he finished fifth in Sunday’s grand prix.

"You still need to go a bit slower in places to go faster. So, it's still not how I would like to see it…

"It's still punishing; the faster you go through corners, the slower you go on the next straight. That's not what it should be about.

"But at least my car is working a bit nicer, so it's a bit less stressful to drive.”

Verstappen’s comments echo those made by McLaren’s reigning world champion Lando Norris.

Norris called for F1 to make bigger changes and urged the world championship to “get rid of the battery”.

“It’s a small step in the right direction but it’s not to the level that F1 should be at, yet,” Norris said after taking second place.

“We said in qualifying if you go flat-out everywhere and you are pushing like you were in previous years you still just get penalised for it. You still can’t be flat-out everywhere. It’s not about being as early on throttle everywhere, you should never get penalised for it and you still do.

“Honestly, I don’t think you can really fix that, you just have to get rid of the battery. So hopefully in a few years that’s the case.”