In the space of six months, it has been some turnaround. The first time Max Verstappen drove the much-maligned, energy-dependent breed of 2026 Formula 1 car at February testing in Bahrain, his response was apoplectic. “Anti-racing” and “like Formula E on steroids” were two such protestations. Six weeks on, after round three at one of Formula 1’s staple high-speed circuits, Suzuka in Japan, the Dutchman’s disgruntlement had reached boiling point. Quitting the sport seemed a real eventuality.
“It’s really anti-driving,” Verstappen told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Then at one point, yeah, it's just not what I want to do. And of course you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great. But at the end of the day it's not about money any more because this has always been my passion."
