“You’re not allowed to make a difference” – Verstappen says the fastest F1 drivers are penalised

Following the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, and particularly Oscar Piastri’s strong comments, one topic dominates media day in Budapest: energy management, more specifically the self-learning aspects of the 2026 power unit.

Piastri called it “crap” that drivers can be caught out by forward-thinking algorithms which adapt based on what they learn over time. It means that extremely small differences in driver input can affect energy management later in the lap, but the same applies to factors completely outside a driver’s control – such as changes in wind direction or grip levels.

Verstappen does not want to criticise the regulations every week and even said in Belgium that certain people outside the press conference room could “shoot” him if he continued. It sounded as though attempts had been made to silence Verstappen, but he clarified the remark in Hungary: “No, I was joking about that one.”

Verstappen does believe, however, that his criticism was not taken seriously some years ago, but that more and more people are now beginning to understand what is wrong with the 2026 regulations.

“I’ve spoken my mind about these regulations already a long time,” Verstappen said. “In the beginning most people were saying, ‘ah, he’s complaining, he should shut up’. But I have to say that the last few races, more and more people are seeing the same thing that I could see coming already a long time ago.

“And it’s not about me not winning anymore, it’s just because I care about the product.”

According to Verstappen, how that product is perceived also depends on the type of fan. Casual fans may enjoy the racing, but those who understand the background see it differently.

“Of course, when people keep asking me, maybe it’s not always appreciated. But I’m just speaking my mind, because you see certain things coming,” he explained.

“Sometimes people say, ‘yeah, but this was a great race’. And then I say, ‘yeah, but it’s not really realistic, the way we are racing’. And then you arrive to some tracks and you’re driving on not a lot of horsepower for F1 standards. It’s a little bit painful, which I could see coming already for years.”

Are the fastest drivers on the grid being penalised in 2026?

Verstappen believes the fastest drivers on the grid are no longer able to make the difference: “It’s just your throttle input. By being faster sometimes in the corner, you lose more in the straight afterwards, which, of course, is not how it should be.

“In every kind of racing series, if you gain time in the corner, that’s just free lap time. You would not then be penalised on the straight, normally. Where now, you really have to think about, ‘oh, I have to use a different gear, braking technique, or the way you go back on throttle’.”

According to Verstappen, that is also exactly why many team-mates have been so closely matched this year and why the fastest drivers can no longer fully showcase their talent.

“It’s basically just neutralising a lot of lap time, and that’s why, I guess, in general, you see a lot of close battles between teams and also team-mates, because sometimes you cannot make a difference. You’re not allowed to make a difference because it will just penalise you on the next straight.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

At the Hungaroring, this should be much less of a factor than it was at Silverstone and Spa, as the circuit near Budapest is energy-rich.

Even so, Verstappen believes it does not fundamentally change the overall picture, including when it comes to overtaking. The Dutchman won F1’s Overtake of the Month award for his move on Lewis Hamilton in Austria.

When Verstappen was asked on the podium how he had pulled off that move, he grinned: “I pressed my boost button and suddenly had a bit more horsepower than Lewis.”

F1 cut that part from its own social media channels, but according to Verstappen it perfectly sums up what overtaking is like in 2026.

“It’s very different. I don’t really enjoy it that much. Sometimes it’s actually very funny where you see people in front of you fighting, they’re using their battery and actually by doing nothing, you just pass them. You just pass them on the next straight by literally doing nothing,” he said.

“Not how it should be. Also, having those wings open everywhere, you reduce a lot the drag while following. Of course, it’s done for the obvious reasons, but I prefer to draft up to someone and then maybe go for an overtake on the brakes or whatever.

“Now, the overtake sometimes is done in the middle of the straight, it’s a bit odd. The problem is, of course, that real racing fans understand. The non-racing fans think it’s cool because you just see more overtakes, but it’s not real. It’s not what racing is about.”

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– The Autosport.com Team