"F3 car with F1 downforce" — Why Max Verstappen and…

"F3 car with F1 downforce" — Why Max Verstappen and McLaren say Spa is so different in 2026

Ahead of the Spa-Francorchamps Formula 1 race weekend, the Ardennes circuit was already expected to be one of the most demanding tracks in terms of energy management. According to many drivers on the grid, qualifying – which delivered pole position for Kimi Antonelli – confirmed exactly that.

Fernando Alonso had already explained that the main issue lies in the second sector, where drivers have to cope largely without MGU-K deployment and therefore without electric power.

One consequence is a painful experience through Pouhon, the fast double left-hander. In recent years, drivers had to push to the absolute limit there, but according to Verstappen, things are very different now.

“Well, I mean, for most of sector two you run just on the [combustion] engine. What is that? 450, 500 horsepower, something like that, which I guess is more or less what a Formula 3 car has, but then with F1 downforce,” the four-time world champion said after qualifying second for the Belgian Grand Prix.

“So you can imagine that, of course, that is not very exciting to drive.”

Running solely on the internal combustion engine, without MGU-K deployment, the current F1 power units produce around 540 horsepower. The Mecachrome engines used in F2 generate around 620 horsepower, meaning that F1 drivers indeed have less power available through Spa's middle sector.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing (Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images)

The comparison with F3 is not entirely accurate, however, as the official figures put those cars at around 380 horsepower.

Verstappen immediately added that he would rather not criticise the 2026 regulations every week, not least because he feels his opinion is not appreciated by everyone in F1.

“Honestly, I don't want to sit here and complain again because probably someone will shoot me outside the door,” Verstappen joked. “But, like I said before, I'm mentally just adjusting to it and I'm trying to make the best out of it, even though it's not what I like and not what I love to do in Formula 1.

“But yeah, I can also sit at home and drive nothing, but that also doesn't do anything, so I'm just trying my best.”

“Pouhon isn't a corner anymore”

Verstappen was far from alone in voicing criticism after qualifying. He received support from Williams’ Carlos Sainz, but also from both McLaren drivers.

Lando Norris had already said in China that fans would no longer see “who has the biggest balls” through Pouhon, and on Saturday he added that the fast double left-hander isn’t even a corner anymore.

On Friday, he had already pointed out that drivers are losing around 50 km/h through Blanchimont. Team-mate Oscar Piastri shared the same view.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren (Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images)

“Pouhon is pretty nasty as well. It's probably more appropriate calling it the bend in the straight now because it's not a corner anymore,” the McLaren driver said when asked by Motorsport.com.

“It is a shame because it's always been a great corner, and it's always been a good corner for me as well. It's strange just with how different things are this year and also the power you have out of the corners.”

The latter means drivers have to adapt from one corner to the next. Exiting a corner with MGU-K deployment feels completely different from exiting one in sector two without electric power.

“A lot of the places now we only have the combustion engine giving us power. So, you come out of some corners with close to 1,000 horsepower, and you come out of other corners with 550, 600, whatever it is.

“Getting your head around that is pretty tough. It's definitely been more challenging in some ways, but it's been a pretty different Spa to previous years.”

The impact meant that Verstappen even described it as a completely different circuit in 2026.

“It's not only Pouhon, it's the whole track,” the Dutchman added. “It's a different Spa, but yeah, I mentally readjust to it.”

Drivers are hoping things will gradually improve over the coming years. The balance between combustion engine power and electric power is set to be adjusted in two steps, eventually reaching a 60-40 split by 2028.