Even after the 2026 regulations revisions, applied at the Miami GP last Sunday (3), Max Verstappen finished the race in fifth place and again criticized the new Formula 1 rules. The four-time world champion from Red Bull stated that, despite small improvements, the problems still remain.
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The race in Florida was marked by difficulties from the start. Verstappen spun on the first lap and had to adopt an alternative strategy, spending much of the race in overtaking battles. Even with updates to the Red Bull car, the driver saw only partial progress: “It’s better. I think we were more competitive, unfortunately with the hard compound it wasn’t so good. We’re getting there, we’re still not the same,” he said, responding to the McLaren boss, Andrea Stella.
Verstappen also reinforced his criticisms of the regulations: “I mean, my car is a little better, but what I said before about the regulations remains the same,” he stated.
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Regarding his performance in qualifying, he highlighted the car’s limitations: “You still need to go slower in some places to go faster. It’s still not how I would like to see it. It still punishes you. The faster you go through the corners, the slower you are on the next straight. It shouldn’t be like that.”
Verstappen is seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 26 points. Red Bull is fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with 30.
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