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<\/p>\nMax Verstappen was all smiles standing on the podium for the first time this season.<\/p>\n
It was a breakthrough result for Red Bull Racing and for its Ford-partnered engine project, with the American company appearing on the rostrum for the first time since the 2002 Italian Grand Prix, when it was last in Formula 1 as the Jaguar team.<\/p>\n
But Verstappen\u2019s recognition of the importance of the moment did nothing to negate his still-simmering frustration with the state of Formula 1.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship\u2122 LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n His first weekend back in the grand prix paddock after a standout maiden appearance at the N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hours sports car race only emphasised to him that his gut instinct about F1\u2019s problems under its 2026 rules has been on the money this whole time.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it stays like this, it\u2019s going to be a long year next year, which I don\u2019t want,\u201d he said, per the BBC, after qualifying.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this. It\u2019s really not.\u201d<\/p>\n As has been well covered so far this season, it\u2019s qualifying where the drivers are really hurting under these regulations.<\/p>\n The almost 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power incentivises drivers to push less aggressively through some corners to ensure the battery is fully charged for the straights. It\u2019s a deeply counterintuitive driving style and has taken the edge off the only session of a weekend in which teams and drivers push themselves and the machinery to the limit in pursuit of maximum speed.<\/p>\n The same applies in race conditions too, but reviews are more mixed over longer formats, when drivers are more used to managing different elements of performance.<\/p>\n Verstappen, though, has no patience for any of it, as he made clear to Sky Sports after finishing third in Montreal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is, I know how pure other motorsport can feel, so when you come back to this, it\u2019s not very nice,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be too negative now after a race like this, but I know what it feels like to drive pure racing cars, pure overtakes, pure racing, just natural driving.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all a bit \u2014 especially qualifying \u2014 anti-driving, anti-racing. That\u2019s not what Formula 1 should be about.\u201d<\/p>\n “Looked like idiots” Piastri on messy GP | 01:34<\/p>\n DIDN\u2019T VERSTAPPEN SAY HE WAS STAYING IN F1?<\/p>\n It\u2019s partly because of Verstappen\u2019s criticism \u2014 even if it\u2019s not directly in response to it \u2014 that Formula 1 is attempting to rush through meaningful hardware changes for 2027 to rebalance the hybrid engine to address driver complaints.<\/p>\n By boosting petrol power and retuning the hybrid motor to something closer to a 60-40 power split \u2014 along with some other changes that will boost charging capacity \u2014 the sport hopes that next year\u2019s cars will be more conventional to drive at most circuits.<\/p>\n The Dutchman praised the initiative earlier during the Montreal weekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will make the product better, so that means that I\u2019m happier, and that\u2019s what I want \u2014 to be able to continue and perform well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He was even more explicit in comments made to <\/a>De Telegraaf<\/a> appearing to confirm that he had decided to continue racing into next season.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, certainly,\u201d he said when asked if his 2027 participation could be assumed. \u201cUnless very crazy things happen, but I\u2019m not assuming that. I hope everyone keeps their word. But I can confirm that I am staying in Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time the interview was conducted, there was optimism that the sport had found the resolve required to force through politically complex changes to the rules, and Verstappen spoke as if they had been agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ratio between the combustion engine and the electric motor will then be approximately 60-40, depending a bit on the circuit,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not quite top-notch yet, but it is a step in the right direction. And certainly an improvement compared to the current situation.\u201d<\/p>\n But in the days since then, it\u2019s become clear that the politics of changing the rules aren\u2019t as straightforward as some had hoped.<\/p>\n Crunch meetings on the sidelines of the grand prix had hit some significant roadblocks that are putting the in-principle agreement to change the rules in jeopardy.<\/p>\n In parting comments at the end of the round, Verstappen underlined his threat to quit the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not what Formula 1 should be about,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cF1 just needs to be more pure, and I really hope that what they try to do next year will go through, because I think that is necessary \u2014 the minimum necessary \u2014 to make it a bit more natural and a bit more back to normal, or at least a bit more pure racing.\u201d<\/p>\n Piastri penalised for early collision! | 00:22<\/p>\n WHAT\u2019S THE HOLD UP?<\/p>\n The political issues were already clear when the FIA announced changes were being proposed.<\/p>\n By boosting the fuel flow rate to increase combustion power, more fuel will be required to complete a grand prix. Some teams, however, have already committed to using their 2026 chassis in 2027, which means carrying over a fuel tanks that at some circuits would be too small to make it to the end of the race.<\/p>\n That problem has been solved fairly quickly, albeit somewhat controversially, according to Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have already spoken and come to an agreement, certainly at team principal level, that if anyone wanted to carry their chassis over and that wasn\u2019t quite big enough to do the 310-kilometre [sic] race, we would look at [shortening] selective races \u2014 and of course, only where absolutely necessary \u2014 by maybe one or two laps [and] limiting laps to grid to one.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s already in place and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n But Red Bull Racing principal Laurent Mekies made clear that there were problems that needed to be solved at the engine level.<\/p>\n \u201cI think chassis side, there is not really a stress on it,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is some tension on the PU side from a timing perspective, and that\u2019s why we are all trying to converge as quickly as we can now.\u201d<\/p>\n There are reportedly two major objections to proposed engine hardware changes.<\/p>\n The first comes from Audi, which believes a multimillion-dollar regulation change for its first year of competition would be a hard sell to the board, particularly so late in the piece. Though supportive in principle \u2014 all the engine manufacturers appear to agree that change is needed \u2014 Audi wants the rule tweaks delayed until 2028.<\/p>\n MORE FORMULA 1<\/p>\n TITLE STATE OF PLAY: Why star\u2019s baffling F1 claim doesn\u2019t stack up<\/a><\/p>\n CANADA TALKING POINTS: Star\u2019s dark arts as true motive for surrender exposed; McLaren no-score disaster explained<\/a><\/p>\n