Max Verstappen voiced his frustration about how Formula One drivers are ‘not allowed’ to make a difference during races due to the demands of the power units.
With the new 2026 regulations, competitors must balance energy usage, since 50% of the engines’ available power comes from the battery. As a result, they had to adapt to a new driving style to avoid draining the charge and becoming vulnerable in battles.
And for the four-time F1 champion, this does not allow the drivers to make a “difference.” “With the way you accelerate, by taking corners faster at times, you end up losing more on the following straights. And it shouldn’t be like that. I mean, in any racing category, if you gain time in the corners, it’s time gained back on the lap ‘for free’,” he said.
“Normally, you wouldn’t be penalized on the straight for that; but now you really have to think: ‘Ah, I have to use a different gear’, or a different braking technique, or change the way you resume acceleration,” he continued.
“You have to act differently and, basically, that ends up erasing a large portion of the lap-time advantage. I think that’s why, in general, we see many tight battles between teams and teammates: because it simply isn’t possible to make a difference. It’s as if making a difference isn’t allowed, since it would end up hurting you on the following straight,” he concluded.
