Jos Verstappen agreed with his son, Max Verstappen, and criticized the 2026 Formula 1 cars, also calling them “Formula E on steroids” and even stating that they would be “anti-racing”. According to him, the aerodynamic and power unit changes force drivers to manage energy intensely, impacting performance on a fast lap.
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In an interview with Viaplay, the father of the four-time Red Bull world champion stated that his son’s concerns are not new. “Max was talking about this two or three years ago,” Jos said. “He saw some data, but everyone was laughing at him at that time. [They said] ‘Max is negative’. Now that the regulations are here, everyone can see. So, they should listen to the drivers a bit more. But they don’t.”
Jos also highlighted problems such as starts and wheel-to-wheel battles, suggesting they could have been avoided if the drivers’ opinions had been considered. “I understand, drivers shouldn’t decide everything,” he said. “But when it comes to logical things about racing, or we can give advice, we can test in the simulator and find out what is bad. Sometimes, F1 or the FIA don’t understand how important a driver can be in decisions.”
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Max Verstappen was one of the harshest critics of the new cars after pre-season testing. The single-seaters will make their debut this weekend, between March 5 and 8, at the Australian GP.
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