Verstappen wishes F1 was ‘more fun’ but hopeful of change

Max Verstappen says he wishes the new Formula 1 was “more fun” but is hopeful the sport is heading towards changes that will “improve everything”.

The four-time world champion is among many drivers who find the increased amount of energy management required for the engines is taking away enjoyment and some elements of their skill.

“I am a bit conflicted, because I don’t really enjoy to drive the car but I do enjoy working with the team,” Red Bull’s Verstappen said.

“I don’t want to leave [F1] but I also hope of course it gets better. I have had discussions with F1 and the [governing body] FIA and we are working towards something that will hopefully improve everything.”

There are concerns over the unusual techniques required of drivers to ensure that the new engines, which have a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, have sufficient battery charge for optimum performance.

F1’s bosses initially agreed to take stock of the rules after the first three races and analyse whether changes could be made.

The main issue is that the overriding requirement to ensure the battery is fully charged at the most performance-sensitive parts of the circuit is reducing the driving challenge, especially in the most demanding high-speed corners.

Aston Martin’s two-time champion Fernando Alonso said: “It is a different challenge. That’s where you put the line, if these cars are more fun or less fun, and everyone will have their own opinion.

“We used to ‘fight for our life’ in Turn 12 in Bahrain, Turn Nine and 10 in Melbourne, sector one and 130R in Suzuka, Turn Seven and Eight here in China.

“There were always certain corners that in Formula 1 were challenging the limits of the physics, and the driver had to use all the skills and be brave in some of the moments as well.

“When you put new tyres and you go through the corner at a speed that you’ve never been before in any of the free practices, that challenge is gone in a way.

“You use those corners to charge the battery, not any more to make the lap time.

World champion Lando Norris said the “very, very different style of driving” now needed meant “you can still make a difference as a driver by driving the power unit in the correct way, but not by necessarily driving the car in a much better way”.

Referencing one of the most challenging corners at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Pouhon, the Briton said it would no longer be a case of who is the bravest through the 150mph double left-hander.

The McLaren driver said: “You’re just going to see who can lift at the correct point and use the amount of throttle that you have to use that doesn’t use the battery and those kind of things.

“So the driver can still make a difference by driving the power unit to the maximum of its ability, but that’s quite a different style to just saying who can carry the most speed through Pouhon, who can carry the most speed into Turn Nine like last weekend.”

In many instances, teams are using high-speed parts of the track to reduce engine output to the rear axle and charge the battery instead, a process known as “clipping”.

But Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said that he had enjoyed the battle he had for the lead with Mercedes’ George Russell in Melbourne, which was a result of the new style of F1.

Each was using the new ‘boost’ and ‘overtake’ modes, which give more electrical deployment, to pass and re-pass each other in the early laps of the race.

Leclerc said: “I was positively surprised by the battles I had with George. I enjoyed quite a lot this battle more than I had thought before the race.

“The cons are known and no point for me to go over and over but for sure in qualifying it is less enjoyable. You have more clipping and it is a bit of a different feeling but the racing I kind of enjoyed that strategic approach you had to think of when I was racing against George.”

Russell, who won the first race, said: “We still need to give it more chance.

“Melbourne is a circuit with four long straights and you had to use your energy across four straights, and some used more on straight one and two, less on three and four and others the opposite.

“But now we arrive on a circuit like this and all the teams will use all their energy on one straight.