Max Verstappen is not alone
For Max Verstappen the quality of Formula 1 racing in 2026 is so low that it pushes him to seek excitement and stimulation Nurburgring taking advantage of every break from commitments in the GP paddock for a trip behind the wheel of the Mercedes GT3 of the team that bears his name. A trenchant opinion on the new era of racing which, however, is also shared by many other professionals and former drivers: and if some, like Juan Pablo Montoya And Jacques Villeneuve instead they showed a certain appreciation for the two races this season, Felipe Massa sides with Super Max in criticizing (albeit with slightly less extreme tones) the current technical and sporting regulations of F1.
Felipe Massa attacks F1
In an interview granted to the Spanish newspaper Sports Diarythe former Ferrari driver did not fail to raise his doubts: “Formula 1 must understand what the right rules are, because what is happening is not pleasant, it is not what everyone would like to see. Of course we see many overtakings but they are not the correct ones, they are false overtakings! In F1 drivers are expected to drive at the limit most of the time and that’s what people want, whereas now in a way the driver is more of an engineer. This is not good and you will have to immediately figure out what to do with the regulation. Also, last year we finished the championship with a difference of maybe a second and a half between all the cars, while now we see gaps of up to five seconds. So it’s terrible”.
“No doubt a situation now arises where – continues the Brazilian, currently in litigation with the FIA and FOM over the 2008 Singapore Crashgate case – the strong teams will fight to ensure that nothing changes while the less competitive ones will push for the rules to be changed. But I believe it is important that the Federation and Formula 1 also understand what is best for the sport“. “If there are no regulatory interventions there will be a Mercedes dominance similar to that of the first years of the hybrid era. In fact, Ferrari is not that far away and it’s nice to see them battle, but we don’t know if Mercedes is really showing everything it has. Maybe they still have something up their sleeve. A magic button hidden somewhere? Well yes, maybe they have!”, concluded Felipe Massa, laughing.
