Max Verstappen hints that F1 could become ‘boring’ due one rule change for the 2026 season

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Formula 1 has seen many different innovations change the landscape of the sport in its 75-year history, and Max Verstappen has pinpointed a specific rule change in the modern era that has saved F1 fans from ‘a lot of boring races’.

Off the back of four consecutive title feats in F1, Max Verstappen has cemented himself as one of the most dominant drivers in recent history.

At just 28 years old, the Dutchman is third on the list of all-time Grand Prix wins, and already has a multitude of records in the sport under his belt.

Verstappen has spent the entirety of his career in the turbo-hybrid era, which has seen F1 cars becoming bigger and faster beasts than their predecessors.

READ MORE: Best moments of Max Verstappen’s F1 career including first pole, podium, win, title and more

Max Verstappen praises DRS for making F1 races more interesting

In a recent appearance on WIRED’s Tech Support web series, the four-time world champion answered a number of questions sent in from fans.

One of the questions that Verstappen fielded was in regards to the technical innovation that he felt had
genuinely improved the excitement of F1 races.

He answered, “I guess it’s a bit of a love/hate relationship, but I do think DRS has helped to race a bit more in some tracks.

“Unfortunately, with having so much stuff on the car, sometimes it’s very hard to follow, and that’s why we need the DRS sometimes.

“So opening the rear wing up on the straights to be able to fight on the straights and into the braking zones.

“Otherwise, I think you would’ve had a lot of boring races in some tracks.”

The verdict from the Red Bull star is in contrast to the general opinion of F1 fans.

Many followers of the sport praised the FIA’s decision to scrap DRS upon the announcement of the new technical regulations for 2026.

READ MORE: Everything we know about F1’s 2026 regulation changes from engines to tyres

DRS is set to be scrapped in Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations

Formula 1’s upcoming regulation reset will see the device scrapped from the rulebook in favour of a new active aerodynamics system.

This new system will feature two modes: an X-mode and a Z-mode. The former will reduce the drag that F1 cars experience on straights, similar to DRS, whilst the latter will increase downforce in corners, to aid in overtaking.

Upon F1’s official announcement of the new system midway through the 2024 season, Oscar Piastri bade farewell to DRS ahead of its proposed redundancy in the upcoming campaign.

The Drag Reduction System played a part in McLaren’s resurgence to the top of the pecking order last season.

The Woking-based outfit devised a clever trick for their rear wing on the MCL38, with onboard footage showing some movement in the bodywork to increase the slot gap.