Former F1 driver Riccardo Patrese has backed Max Verstappen to master the "complicated" new power unit regulations.
F1's new regulations for the upcoming season have been touted as the biggest in the championship's history, with much of the technology having been overhauled.
This is largely due to the 50–50 split between electrical power and internal combustion, which has resulted in a major change in how the cars are driven.
Boost mode and overtake mode are just two of the new features to be seen in 2026, resulting in more driver involvement on the steering wheel to maximise performance and strategy.
Patrese is not a fan of all the changes but believes they will suit Verstappen best, given how familiar he is with changing settings on a steering wheel in a simulator, as well as his natural ability to adapt.
"Max Verstappen is for sure best suited to adapt to the new regulations," Patrese told Bet Victor Casinos. "He is at home in this environment. He is always in the simulator; he works very well with all the buttons!
"He is not the only one, though. All the new generation of drivers know how to do this. The team that then has to tell them how to use these buttons, because I think in a lap, from what I understand, there are many things that are going to happen.
"There will be full power, then the electric goes away, and then only the thermic stays. One thing is for sure: if we thought that Formula 1 for a normal person was complicated to understand, now it's doubly more complicated!
"I don't like it all, because sometimes for a normal person it's impossible to understand what's going on."
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Verstappen title favourite
Despite Red Bull becoming a power unit supplier for the first time in its history, Patrese believes that Verstappen will likely secure a fifth drivers' title in 2026.
However, the Italian also believes Ferrari could be a surprise package, and that Lewis Hamilton could surge back towards the top.
"Max Verstappen is probably the guy who will be champion," added Patrese.
"Maybe Ferrari will surprise us! Lewis Hamilton, I think, has the motivation, and he can be very competitive and come back to fight Charles Leclerc in the team.
"But as it is now, I think Leclerc can show that he can have more speed than Lewis. The fight between the two McLaren drivers will be very interesting, though."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding, as they look back on last week's five-day F1 test in Barcelona. McLaren's upgrade strategy is discussed, as is Aston Martin grabbing much attention with its striking AMR26.
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