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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen is believed to be ‘pushing hard’ behind the scenes in Formula 1 for rule changes after the opening race of 2026.
The Australian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen outqualified by a teammate for the first time since 2023, and while he managed to make up 14 positions to finish P6, he wasn’t a fan of how the race played out.
Verstappen’s crash in qualifying was completely out of his control, and while in the past the Dutchman has enjoyed his drives through the pack to score points, the race in Melbourne didn’t follow that same trend.
A first fastest lap of the season for Max Verstappen! Where would he have finished if he started in the top 10?
Before the five red lights went out bizarrely quickly, Verstappen complained about his battery charge, and the positions he made up came from having a huge pace advantage over F1’s midfield teams before getting stuck behind Lando Norris.
Verstappen hasn’t hidden his displeasure with Formula 1’s new regulations, but instead of waiting until they’re updated again in several years, he’s now campaigning for changes behind the scenes.
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Max Verstappen ‘vocal’ about 2026 Formula 1 regulations after the Australian Grand Prix
A report from ESPN has shared more information after the first race weekend in Melbourne came to a close.
The report states that while Verstappen didn’t directly respond when asked if F1 should be worried that he might walk away because of the new regulations.
It’s believed that some Red Bull staff are worried Verstappen will quit in the near future, but he simply replied, “I think what they should worry about is the rules, just focus on that.”
ESPN go on to say that ‘Verstappen is clearly one of the drivers pushing hard behind the scenes for changes,’ which highlights that while he has many options to race elsewhere away from Formula 1, he still cares deeply about the sport.
Some standout performers in Melbourne 👀 Who was you Driver of the Day at the Australian GP?
It was confirmed on Monday that Verstappen will attempt to race at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, with a qualifying event taking place after the Chinese Grand Prix.
After suggesting that F1 had become ‘Formula E on steroids’ due to the overwhelming importance of the new battery component, Verstappen insisted that he wanted the sport to become ‘Formula 1 on steroids’ instead.
Whether the FIA decide to make any changes based on Verstappen’s protestations is yet to be seen, although a meeting is already scheduled for after the race in Shanghai to discuss potential alterations.
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Max Verstappen admitted he didn’t enjoy taking part in the Australian Grand Prix
Speaking to the press after the race, Verstappen was asked whether he enjoyed the Australian Grand Prix and said: “No, not really. The overtakes were fun, but I’m also racing cars that are two seconds slower.
“For me, it’s just clearing the traffic. It sounds a bit weird, but that’s how I see it. It’s not really a fair fight, so I just try to get through as clean as possible and try to get into my rhythm when I clear the midfield.
“But we had too much degradation. We were graining a lot on the tyres. That compromised a lot with the rest of the race.
“We thought that with the hard compound it would be better for us. But unfortunately, that compound didn’t work today.”
The Sprint Race weekend in China will be an even trickier challenge for Verstappen and his fellow drivers, as they will only have one practice session to learn how best to deploy their batteries before qualifying on Friday.
It’s the sort of scenario that the 28-year-old normally thrives in, as long as his car doesn’t let him down again as he’s about to start his first flying lap.
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