A bold statement from Jos Verstappen has sparked a conversation about the future of Formula 1. He revealed that his son, Max, was ridiculed for his concerns about the upcoming 2026 F1 cars, but now, with the new regulations in place, everyone can see the issues he foresaw.
This year's challengers have undergone significant changes, with new regulations impacting aerodynamics and power units. However, these changes have left Max Verstappen disappointed, as he described the cars as a far cry from the thrilling racing experience, likening them to 'Formula E on steroids' and 'anti-racing'.
The new cars require drivers to carefully manage energy harvesting and deployment, which significantly affects lap times. Speaking to Viaplay, Jos emphasized that Max's complaints are not new, and in fact, he had voiced these concerns years ago.
"Max was speaking about this two or three years ago," Jos explained. "He had access to some data, but people laughed it off, calling him negative. Now, with the regulations implemented, everyone can see the problems for themselves."
And here's where it gets controversial... Jos believes that the decision-makers should have listened more to the drivers' insights. Issues like the starting procedure and wheel-to-wheel racing have been raised by drivers during pre-season testing, and Max suggests these headaches could have been avoided with better driver consultation.
"I understand drivers shouldn't make all the decisions," Max, a four-time champion, said. "But when it comes to logical racing aspects, we can provide valuable advice. We can even test in simulators and identify potential issues. F1 and the FIA sometimes underestimate the importance of driver input in decision-making."
So, what do you think? Should drivers have a bigger say in the future of F1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
