'Just a tickle’: Verstappen unconvinced by Formula 1’s latest tweaks

Max Verstappen, never one to hold back, has described Formula 1’s latest regulation tweaks as “just a tickle”, suggesting the powers that be are merely rearranging deck chairs.

Following a scheduled April review, the FIA and Formula 1 have opted against radical intervention. The racing, they concluded, is already “entertaining” – not in need of a dramatic overhaul. Instead, “refinements” were introduced to address specifics like qualifying dynamics and closing speeds.

Verstappen, however, sees the changes as little more than surface-level adjustments.

“With the changes that are made, I think it's more like a tickle,” he said during his media duties in Miami on Thursday.

“Because at the end of the day, F1 is a very complex and political sport. I think everyone has tried their best to at least do something, but of course it won't change the world.”

That realism extends to the much-discussed qualifying changes. Despite alterations aimed at reducing energy management and encouraging flat-out driving, Verstappen remains unconvinced that drivers will truly be unleashed.

“[This] is not what we need yet to really make it flat out,” he explained. “But like I said, it's complicated to get everyone to agree. I just hope for next year we can make really big, big changes.”

A seat at the table – finally

If the technical tweaks feel underwhelming, Verstappen does see a meaningful shift elsewhere: dialogue.

Behind the scenes, the Dutchman has been part of ongoing discussions with both the FIA and F1 leadership, including CEO Stefano Domenicali. For a driver who has long advocated for stronger input from those behind the wheel, that’s a step in the right direction.

“The positive thing about it is that we’ve had some nice meetings with Formula 1 and the FIA. And I think that's hopefully a starting point for the future,” Verstappen explained.

“Even in a few years’ time, maybe I'm not here anymore, but I really hope that for the future drivers as well, there's more input to come from the drivers to the organisers in general.”

Verstappen believes drivers possess an intuitive understanding of what makes the sport compelling – something that can’t always be captured in data or boardroom debate.

“Because I do think that most of the drivers here, we have a good understanding and a good feel of what is needed to make Formula 1 a good product, a fun product,” he added.

“And I think that's already a huge step forward in terms of the communication.”

Sport vs. business

The broader picture, though, remains complicated. While Domenicali has insisted Formula 1 is “in a good place,” Verstappen subtly draws a line between commercial success and sporting purity.

“I only speak about the purity of the sport, what we need, and for the drivers as well, what we feel in the car. But you have to understand that it's a business, it's a sport. And that's, like I said, why it can be political at times,” he argued.

It’s a tension that sits at the heart of modern Formula 1: spectacle versus substance, growth versus authenticity.

For Verstappen, the current situation is as much a missed opportunity as it is a learning moment. He believes earlier driver involvement could have steered the sport away from some of its present challenges.

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“I hope [they’ll listen to the drivers] more and more. I'm sure that we can have really good input about that,” he concluded.

“I think if we would have had that five or six years ago, then we probably wouldn't have been in the state that we are in now. I just hope that it's a lesson for the future.”

In typical Verstappen fashion, the message is clear: small tweaks may keep the wheels turning, but real progress will require bolder thinking – and a louder driver voice.

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