'Formula E on steroids': Max Verstappen slams new F1 cars during pre-season testing in Bahrain

Four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has launched a scathing attack on the new breed of F1 cars after the second day of testing in Bahrain on Thursday. The 28-year-old Dutchman, who had missed out on a fifth consecutive world title by just two points in December, described the new Formula One cars as "anti-racing" and "Formula E on steroids".

Verstappen labels new F1 cars as 'not very Formula One-like'

Verstappen had clocked the second-fastest time of the day on Wednesday, the opening day of first leg of pre-season testing in Bahrain, running 136 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

He was, however, less than impressed by the rule changes this year that have led to a complete overhaul of chassis and engines for every team, with the focus now shifting to energy management.

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"To drive (they are) not a lot of fun, to be honest. I would say the right word is management. It's not very Formula One-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids," Verstappen said in his first press conference of the year.

"But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out and at the moment, you cannot drive like that. There's a lot going on.

"A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, has a massive effect on the energy side of things. For me, that's just not Formula 1. Maybe it's then better to drive Formula E, right? Because that's all about energy, efficiency and management," he added.

'I want to be realistic as a driver'

Verstappen added that while he likes the new look of the cars, everything else about them feels "anti-racing" to him. At the same time, he sounded somewhat sympathetic when discussing engineers and designers who have had to deal with the new regulations.

"Honestly, the proportion of the car looks good, I think. That's not the problem. It's just everything else that is a bit, for me, anti-racing," he continued.

"On the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, also from the engine side, for the guys.

"So, it's not always the nicest thing to say but I also want to be realistic as a driver," Verstappen added.

The second leg of the pre-season testing will also take place in Bahrain. The 2026 season then gets underway in the first week of March with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.