Max Verstappen surprised at F1 rivals for wasteful 'not real' actions

Max Verstappen says he finds it "very funny" watching some F1 drivers be wasteful in battles with rivals, leaving him able to make overtakes "by doing nothing."

With the drivers required to balance using their energy to complete overtakes against not using too much to leave themselves exposed soon after, the situation has created so-called 'yo-yo racing', with positions swapping on a regular basis. 

This, in Verstappen's view, means that "non-racing fans" believe there are more overtakes than those which are actually meaningful, as he explained how he preferred to do his overtaking on the brakes into corners, over blasting past on the energy on a straight, and leaving himself exposed for a comeback. 

"It is different, and I don't really enjoy it that much," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365, when asked about how much the skill required in an overtaking move had changed in 2026. 

"I mean, sometimes, it is actually very funny when 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. You have the wings open everywhere and reduce the drag a lot whilst following, and it is done for obvious reasons, but I prefer to drive up to someone, and then maybe go for an overtake on the brakes.

"Now, overtaking is done in the middle of a straight, so it is a bit odd. The problem is that the real racing fans understand. 

"The non-racing fans think it is cool because you just see more overtakes, but it is not real. It is not what racing is about."