The FIA now disagrees with Max Verstappen’s proposed changes for the 2026 F1 regulations

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Max Verstappen is already pushing for changes to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations after just two races, yet the FIA does not seem to want to take them on board.

The Red Bull driver has scored eight points thus far in 2026 with his P6 finish in Australia. He failed to score points in the Sprint in China before retiring from Sunday’s race with an ERS issue.

Verstappen has criticised the 2026 F1 regulations since they were first proposed back in 2023, but his comments have become even more brutal the more he drives the RB22. After the Chinese GP, he is calling for changes.

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In Melbourne, it was said that Verstappen was ‘pushing hard’ for changes to the rules, particularly with the battery and how it has a 50/50 split with internal combustion in the power unit. Describing it as ‘Formula E on steroids’, he wants it to be ‘Formula 1 on steroids’.

In China, it was reported that Verstappen had ‘put options on the table’ to the FIA about short-term improvements for the regulations and racing on track. However, not much is expected to change.

FIA says 2026 rules ‘final product’ doesn’t need as many changes as Max Verstappen thinks

After the Chinese GP, journalist Ronald Vording spoke to the FIA about the regulations and whether any changes were coming. The response was that the current ruleset is ‘actually quite good’, and that the proposals Verstappen has made will not be introduced.

“There won’t be any major changes for Japan,” he said via Motorsport.com Nederland. “The FIA has always said, hasn’t it, that, yes, after China, we’re going to evaluate.

“That evaluation with all the teams is going ahead as well, but what you’re already hearing about it is that they don’t want to make any major changes for Japan.

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“Which makes sense in a way, because there’s obviously a very long break after Japan, isn’t there, now that the races in the Middle East have been cancelled.

“So if they want to tweak a few things, they’d be better off using that gap so that if they want to do something, they can get it right in one go.

“But again, it won’t be anything major. Because I also had a quick chat with FIA today. They reckon the final product is actually quite good and that the final product doesn’t require as many changes as Max Verstappen might think. So yeah, it’s not going to be completely turned on its head all at once.”

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The FIA will make changes to the ADUO after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancellation

However, with that said, there are set to be some changes to the 2026 rules in the wake of recent developments in the Middle East.

With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix being cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the region, there is now a five-week gap in the calendar between Japan and Miami.

This is set to hamper the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system, which is aimed at giving manufacturers chances to improve their power units at various stages in the season. It is to prevent one team from dominating the field.

With this latest news, the FIA is set to change the rules surrounding ADUO, which will greatly benefit teams like Ferrari and Aston Martin. The former are competitive but cannot keep up with Mercedes, while the latter cannot finish a race with the Honda power unit.