Max Verstappen could see 2026 F1 engine issues ‘coming years ago’

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen says more people are now voicing the same issues he “could already see coming for years” about the 2026 power units.

The four-time world champion has been the most vocal critic of the new regulations this year, which have placed a greater emphasis on energy management.

The recent British and Belgian Grands Prix highlighted the impact the new power units were having on power-demanding circuits, with many drivers noting that many corners had been neutered as a result.

At Spa, Max Verstappen joked about being shot if he spoke any more about F1’s engines, but said on Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that his criticisms are being echoed more widely now.

“No, no, I was joking about that one,” he said when asked if he was banned from talking about the 2026 engines.

“But I have spoken my mind about these regulations already [for] a long time.

“In the beginning, most people were saying, ‘Ah, he's complaining, he should shut up’.

“But I have to say that the last few races more and more people are saying the same thing that I could see coming already a long time [ago].

“And it's not about me not winning anymore, it's just because I care about the product.

“Of course, I've said it many, many times, and at one point that's also enough, right?

“But of course, when people keep asking you, then, yeah, maybe it's not appreciated always.

“But I'm just speaking my mind because you see certain things coming, and then sometimes people say, ‘Ah, yeah, but this was a great race’. I said, ‘Yeah, but is that really realistic, the way we are racing?’

“And then you arrive at some tracks, you're driving on not a lot of horsepower for F1 standards, and it's a little bit painful, which I could see coming already for years.

“So it's then, of course, not the most exciting, right?

“But at one point I'm also a little bit, you know, just fed up with repeating myself because it's already hard enough just having to drive it.”

“You are not allowed to make a difference…”

The Spa weekend highlighted the power issues being created by the algorithmic energy deployment, which are incredibly sensitive to driver input.

Verstappen says a driver simply can’t make a difference anymore.

“It’s just like your throttle input, like by being faster in the corner, sometimes you lose speed on the straight afterwards, which is not how it should be,” the Red Bull driver said.

“In every kind of racing series, if you gain time in the corner, that’s just free lap time; you would not be penalised on the straight normally.

“Where now, you have to think about using a different gear, or your braking technique, or the way you have to go back on throttle, you have to be different.

“It’s basically just neutralising a lot of lap time.

“And that’s why you see quite a lot of close battles between teams or team-mates, because sometimes you cannot make a difference.

“You are not allowed to make a difference because it will just penalise you on the next straight.”

He added: “Sometimes some unexpected things arise, because it’s so, let’s say, unnatural that you can’t put logic to it. It’s just too complicated - it’s as simple as that.”