Max Verstappen delivers 'tickle' verdict over major F1 rule changes

Max Verstappen is of the opinion that the major changes made to F1's technical regulations for the Miami Grand Prix are "tickling" the surgery he feels must be made.

Verstappen has made no secret of his dislike of the 2026 regulations, and in Japan, he indicated that he could quit at the end of the season and rejected the notion that he was only complaining so vocally because his Red Bull team is not in a position to fight for victories and podiums. 

Ahead of the Miami GP, the FIA, in consultation with the teams, drivers, and F1 itself reached an agreement over a package of changes to be introduced and to try to solve some of the problems discovered in Australia, China, and Japan.

The most important of these is that super-clipping will now be permitted up to 350kw, thus fully charging the battery, whereas it was previously capped at 250kw, and the reduction in the amount of energy able to be harvested to 7MJ from 8MJ.

Whilst he was pleased with the initial raft of changes, Verstappen felt that F1 had only "tickled" the surface of what was needed.

"I mean, the positive thing is that we had some nice meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA, and I think it is a starting point, hopefully for the future," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.

"In a few years' time, maybe I'm not here anymore, and I really hope that for the future drivers as well, there is more input to come from the drivers to the organisers in general.

"Because I do think that most of the drivers here, we have a good understanding and a good feel of what is needed to make Formula 1 a good product, a fun product.

"I think there's already been a huge step forward in terms of the communication, and with the changes that have been made, I think it is more of a tickle because Formula 1 is a very complex and political sport, but I think everyone has tried their best to at least do something, but of course, it won't change the world.

"It is a tickle, and it is not what we need yet to make it really flat-out, but as I said, it is complicated to get everyone to agree, and I just hope for next year, we can make really big, big changes."