SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Max Verstappen says it is “no fun” to drive the new Formula 1 cars and sweeping changes for 2026 mean the series no longer feels like F1.
Regulation changes for 2026 have made cars smaller and lighter, with a key role for the strategy of charging an on-board battery and using electrical energy to boost speed.
“It’s actually no fun at all to drive,” the four-time champion told broadcaster Sky Sport in a German-language interview during testing on Thursday, likening it to the all-electric series Formula E, where managing energy is crucial to strategy. “What should I say about that? It’s a bit like Formula E on steroids.”
Verstappen predicted it would be difficult to manage the car's energy at tracks like Melbourne, which hosts the season-opening Australian Grand Prix next month.
“I don’t know what else to do about it, you know, it isn’t the original Formula 1 feeling any more,” said Verstappen, who was second-fastest on the opening day of testing Wednesday and sat out Thursday.
Charles Leclerc led the way for Ferrari on Thursday, going fastest by half a second from champion Lando Norris.
While some rivals hit reliability issues, Leclerc's performance was an encouraging sign for Ferrari following its winless 2025 season.
McLaren's Norris, who had been fastest Wednesday, racked up the most laps on Thursday with 149, close to triple a full Bahrain Grand Prix race distance.
Oliver Bearman was third-fastest for Haas, which had another strong day after Esteban Ocon was fourth on Wednesday.
There were issues at Mercedes, where Kimi Antonelli managed just three laps in the morning before handing over to George Russell, and at Red Bull, where Isack Hadjar spent much of the morning waiting for the team to get his car running.
Teams can only run one car on track in the test. As well as Verstappen, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was among those to sit out the day.
There are three days of testing this week, with three more next week.
AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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