Max Verstappen has firmly rejected his father Jos's joking suggestion to try rallying, calling the risk too high, especially as a parent. The Red Bull driver instead reiterated his criticism of F1's 2026 technical regulations, while confirming his future interests lie in GT and endurance racing like Le Mans.
Carlos Sainz warns that F1's new 2026 energy management rules, requiring a 50/50 split between electric and combustion power, may need in-season adjustments for certain tracks. The Williams driver urges the FIA to stay flexible to preserve racing quality, highlighting Melbourne and Jeddah as potential problem circuits.
George Russell says Red Bull still leads energy deployment after Bahrain testing, but Mercedes has cut the deficit to a manageable level. In the 2026 hybrid era, early races will reveal who can press the button best.
Lando Norris admits McLaren's 2026 car lacks the race pace edge of rivals Ferrari and Mercedes, leading to higher tire degradation when trying to match their speed. The reigning champions are now working on "every area" to improve the MCL40's performance ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
Max Verstappen has candidly stated the 2026 F1 regulations have created his "least favorite" era due to cars requiring excessive "management" of grip and battery power, which he finds unenjoyable and not "pure Formula 1." However, he vows to give his full effort for Red Bull's new Ford power unit, praising the team's incredible work in building a reliable engine from scratch.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella says Ferrari and Mercedes look to be the teams to beat after 2026 pre-season testing, placing McLaren and Red Bull in a close fight behind them. He warns the true competitive order will be circuit-dependent, with the Australian GP's energy management demands providing the first real test.
Yuki Tsunoda's return to a Red Bull cockpit for a San Francisco demonstration run ended abruptly when his RB7 car caught fire. In a separate incident during the same showrun, Scott Speed crashed a second RB7, making it an expensive and dramatic day for the team's heritage assets in front of a large crowd.
A Red Bull F1 car burst into flames during a demo run with Yuki Tsunoda, while the sport simultaneously ramped up hype for its 2026 regulatory revolution with a new teaser. The weekend also featured Red Bull's cryptic performance prediction, a major Ferrari staff bonus, and accusations of testing 'games' as the new season gets underway.
AlphaTauri's Liam Lawson says F1's 2026 car is surprisingly demanding despite being slower, as drivers spend more time in corners maintaining neck strain. He calls it a completely new driving style that widens the gap from Formula 2.
F1 experts project Mercedes will narrowly edge Ferrari and McLaren for the 2026 constructors' title based on pre-season testing, with Red Bull leading a tight midfield. George Russell is favored for the drivers' championship, but the new regulations and development race mean the initial order is highly fluid.
Romain Grosjean, back in IndyCar, states its cars can be "way faster" than F1 machines in tight, low-speed corners like Monaco's hairpin, crediting superior mechanical grip and a different driving approach focused on entry and mid-corner speed over pure horsepower.
Oscar Piastri reveals that F1's 2026 energy regulations will create wildly different challenges at each circuit, with tracks like Melbourne and Jeddah forcing extreme 'lift-and-coast' tactics to prevent total battery depletion, shifting race strategy towards intensive pre-programming.
