Bernie Ecclestone says Max Verstappen will be ‘half a second’ faster than everyone in new F1 cars

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Bernie Ecclestone has predicted that Max Verstappen will be in a league of his own in 2026 despite his well-known qualms with the new generation of cars.

Verstappen has raised several objections to the rule changes, most notably the resulting energy management protocols. The Red Bull driver called the new-look F1 ‘Formula E on steroids’, with the battery output almost tripling from 120kW to 350.

In addition, Verstappen fears the new rules are too complex for fans, a concern he shares with Lewis Hamilton. But speaking to Blick, former F1 boss Ecclestone expressed total confidence that his performance wouldn’t suffer.

Bernie Ecclestone says Max Verstappen just needs to ‘master’ the new F1 cars

Ecclestone believes that Verstappen, in terms of raw speed, is ‘half a second’ quicker than the rest of the field. He says that advantage will not diminish under the new regulations.

The 28-year-old just needs to ‘master’ the new way of driving, and then it will be as if nothing changed. Verstappen damaged his Red Bull as he explored the limits during Friday practice in Melbourne.

“Once Max has truly mastered the new system in the cockpit, he will once again be half a second faster than the rest,” said Ecclestone.

Just 13 laps for Max Verstappen in FP2

Is reliability a concern for Red Bull?

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Red Bull’s competitiveness is perhaps the biggest unknown heading into the new season. The perennial frontrunners are debuting their first-ever in-house power unit, which has led them to play down expectations.

Verstappen says Mercedes and Ferrari are ahead at the moment, but Bernie Collins believes the Red Bull engine is ‘way stronger’ than expected.

Jolyon Palmer explains why the 2026 cars suit Max Verstappen’s style

Williams driver Carlos Sainz feels Verstappen and George Russell are the only title contenders this season.

Speaking ahead of the race, Russell identified Verstappen as his biggest threat, along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

More so than ever, the current F1 cars will test the mental capacity of the drivers. It’s no longer a case of maximum attack; they have to be far more strategic with their use of electrical energy.

And what’s more, Jolyon Palmer says the 2026 cars have a loose rear end, which should favour the driving style of Verstappen and Leclerc more so than Hamilton.