Sainz urges open-mindedness on rules, Verstappen says ‘too late’

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As Formula 1’s radical 2026 regulations make their debut in Melbourne this weekend, Max Verstappen was blunt when asked if F1 could pivot if the first few races turn into a strategic shambles.

In the Red Bull driver’s eyes, the billion-dollar ship has already sailed despite Carlos Sainz urging the FIA to remain open-minded if unforeseen issues arise.

The new regulations, affecting both chassis and power unit, have split opinions across the grid. With the internal combustion engine now roughly balanced against electrical energy in a near-50:50 mix, battery management will play a greater role than ever.

Drivers may even need to downshift on straights to conserve energy – forcing techniques that run counter to decades of racing habits.

For Sainz, the approach should be measured.

“Let's see, whatever rules we've come up with for this year, let's put them on track and then evaluate,” he told reporters.

“The only thing I've told Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO] and the FIA is that we need to be open-minded if the first race is, or the first two or three races is, because China will be different and Japan will be different again.

“Give it maybe two or three examples, and then if clearly there's something off, something wrong, I hope we are able to change.”

Verstappen: Too Late to Tweak the Rules

When Sainz’s comments were put to Verstappen, the Dutch four-time world champion – who called F1’s new “anti-racing” and “Formula E on steroids” – emphasized that the window for major changes had long passed.

“We're a bit late with that,” Verstappen said. “The amount of money that has been invested into these regulations, it will be around for a while. You could have seen this coming. That suddenly now things are raised, it's a bit late.”

Even the suggested increase in “super clipping” from 250kW to 350kW – a measure aimed at easing energy management demands – fails to convince Verstappen that any tweaks will have a meaningful impact.

“I don't know,” he admitted. “It also just depends a lot on the track layout as well. You can reduce the power, but then of course you also go slower in lap times.

“So I'm not sure. It's a difficult subject to actually say this is the best thing with what we have at the moment. I guess that's why they also just want to see how it goes here in the first place, but it's all pretty complicated.”

Whether the first races produce chaos or excitement, one thing is certain: Formula 1 is navigating uncharted territory, and the debate over the rules is only beginning – though Verstappen suggests it’s too late to stop the train.

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Michael Delaney