03/12/26 02:36:00
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03/12 02:30 CDT Verstappen sees 'a jungle' in F1 but still hopes for 'simple
solutions'
Verstappen sees 'a jungle' in F1 but still hopes for 'simple solutions'
SHANGHAI (AP) --- Max Verstappen's blunt assessment: "It's a jungle" in Formula
1.
The four-time F1 world champion isn't a fan of the new 2026 technical
regulations, despite working his way up from No. 20 on the grid to place sixth
at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last weekend.
Verstappen predicted his Red Bull probably couldn't go any higher than fifth
place this weekend in the Chinese Grand Prix --- even if he starts much closer
to the front in Sunday's race in Shanghai --- because of the big gap between
Mercedes and Ferrari and all the other teams.
"Honestly, it's such a jungle out there at the moment," Verstappen said
Thursday at the driver news conferences in Shanghai. "I mean, I would hope that
it gets a bit closer ... but it's clear that at the moment we cannot fight with
those cars."
It's not the first time Verstappen has taken a swipe at the sport's new
regulations, which he thinks are anti-fun, anti-racing and could potentially be
dangerous.
F1's new cars are complex, with unprecedented changes across the chassis and
power unit, which now feature an almost 50:50 output split between the turbo
1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy harvested from the brakes --- one
that requires a new, often counterintuitive driving style.
One of Verstappen's concerns is starting the race with empty batteries in the
hybrid cars. Franco Colapinto only very narrowly avoided Liam Lawson at the
start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the Racing Bulls car was slow off the
line with minimal battery power --- many drivers started with depleted
batteries among the teething issues with the new rules.
"There are a few simple solutions, but they need to be allowed by the FIA, with
the battery related stuff, because, yeah, starting with the 0% battery --- not
a lot of fun and also quite dangerous," Verstappen said. "You can see, I mean,
we almost had a massive shunt in Melbourne in the start.
"This is something that I think can be easily fixed."
As for speculation he may quit if reforms aren't made quickly, Verstappen said:
"I don't want to leave, but I also hope, of course, that it gets better.
"I've had discussions with F1 and FIA and, I think, we are working toward
something, hopefully, and, hopefully that will improve everything," he said,
without elaborating on what the changes might be. "I hope already for next year
we can already make a decent improvement."
A 24-hour switch
In the meantime, in the search of more "fun," he has confirmed this week he'll
be driving his first 24-hour sportscar race at the historic Nrburgring
Nordschleife circuit in May. F1 hasn't used it since 1976, when then-reigning
champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash.
"It's one of the best races in the world, it's one of the best tracks. I mean,
honestly, in a GT car for me that's like the perfect speed round there,"
Verstappen said. "I think if you go anything faster it can be a bit dangerous
in places."
"I mean, I've been watching it, of course, for a long time. I know a lot of my
friends, of course, that have been racing in it already. They say it's one of
the best things ever, and I like racing other cars as well."
The 28-year Verstappen says he still has career ambitions.
"I don't need to be only a Formula 1 driver, I can also do other things," he
said. "I've done this for a while and I've achieved everything that I wanted to
achieve, so that's why I want to explore other things, and I don't want to do
them when I'm 40 years old. So now I think this is the perfect age to do it."
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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