Verstappen criticizes 2026 F1 package after Q1 crash

After crashing out of Q1 in Melbourne, Max Verstappen criticized Formula 1’s 2026 cars and regulations, saying the “formula is just not correct”, that he was “not having fun” and that “you just don’t want to drive it anymore.” He warned the season could be long unless changes are made and urged the FIA and teams to pursue rule changes during the campaign.

The 2026 package includes smaller, lighter chassis, reintroduced active aero in place of DRS, deliberately reduced overall downforce, the removal of the MGU-H, a shift of roughly half engine power delivery to the battery, and a move to 100% sustainable fuel. Red Bull acknowledged an immediate lack of pure performance as it adapts to its new Ford-backed 2026 power unit, and teams have flagged broader reliability and energy-management concerns under the new rules.

The crash occurred in Q1 when Verstappen’s Red Bull snapped sideways under braking into Turn 1 and speared nose-first into the barriers; he said the rear axle “completely locked up” as he downshifted and called the incident “very weird.” Medical staff carried out precautionary X-rays on his hands and cleared him of fractures. Mercedes dominated qualifying, locking out the front row, while Verstappen was left to start 20th — his eighth Q1 elimination since joining F1 in 2015. From the back Verstappen recovered strongly: he started on the hard tire on a two-stop strategy, made up around a dozen places—helped when Oscar Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg failed to start—and finished sixth, just behind Lando Norris. He thanked his team over the radio and called the overtakes “fun” but said he was racing cars “that are two seconds slower” and described the result as “not really a fair fight.” He reported heavy graining on the hard tire that forced a second pit stop, saying the hard compound “somehow didn’t work today.” He also said a drained battery on the formation lap left him with “no power,” contributing to a “terrible” start. Verstappen conceded the deficit was partly “half-car, half-engine” and said it was solvable, while maintaining his broader criticisms of the 2026 technical direction and drivability of the new cars.