Max Verstappen calls for FIA action after Australia ‘chaos’

Max Verstappen has called on the FIA and F1 to ensure the series he loves becomes "Formula 1 on steroids" following his first experience of racing in the new era.

Verstappen has been critical of the direction F1 has headed, even from when the ideas were still on paper three years ago, before becoming reality with a 50-50 split of combustion and electrical power, with high demands placed on battery management.

In testing in Bahrain, the four-time F1 champion felt the sport had become "Formula E on steroids". Now he wants a return to real F1, otherwise, and although not saying it directly, you sense he will walk away if changes are not made.

Asked by RacingNews365 post-Australian Grand Prix for his first verdict on the racing, after finishing sixth from 20th on the grid following his crash in qualifying that left him with a lowly grid slot, speaking to the media, he replied: "Chaos....yeah, honestly, I don't really have the right words for it.

"For me, I passed a lot of cars because we were two seconds a lap faster. But, I don't really know what word to use."

Pressed on whether F1 should be worried about the racing, he added: "I think what they should worry about are the rules.

"They ask questions, and I give my opinion of what I would like to see and what I think is better for the sport, because I do care about it. I do love racing, and I want it to be better than this.

"So let's see what we can do. I hope that even during this year, we can come up with some different solutions so it becomes more enjoyable for everyone."

Verstappen bemoans 'terrible' start

Asked, and not for the first time already this year, whether he would continue, he again offered no guarantees.

"I love racing, but you can only take so much, right?" he said. "I think they're willing to listen, the FIA and F1, but I just hope there is some action. I'm not the only one saying it. A lot of people are saying the same, be it the drivers or the fans.

"We just want the best for the sport. It's not that we are critical, just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We want it to be Formula 1, you know, proper Formula 1 on steroids, but today, again, that was not the case."

Given Verstappen's starting position, finishing sixth was 'damage limitation', in particular, following a start he described as "terrible", underlining one of the concerns he has at present with F1.

"I had no battery," he said. "Somehow, on the formation lap, it drained all the battery. I launched, and I had zero battery, so no power, basically."

Beyond that, he said: "I stayed out of trouble in the beginning, and then I drove by the midfield. At one point, I got into a bit of a rhythm.

"It was quite clear that we had a lot of degradation and a lot of graining on the hard compound, which we thought was going to be better. Unfortunately, it looked like the medium was the better tyre today."