Verstappen welcomes FIA talks, but says F1 rules remain broken
Verstappen sees progress, not a solution
According to Samson Ero’s report for GPblog, Verstappen told a Viaplay event in Amsterdam that the talks with Formula 1 leadership and the FIA are a step forward, but his view of the rules themselves has not softened. He is not arguing that nothing can be improved. His point is that the current package still misses something fundamental, and that small adjustments alone may not be enough to fix it.
That criticism lands harder because the 2026 overhaul was sold as one of the biggest technical resets in years. The new cars arrived with revised aerodynamics, new race tools and a major power unit shift, including a roughly 50, 50 split between combustion and electric power. In practice, the early part of the season has produced repeated complaints about energy management, lift and coast phases and unnatural speed swings, all of which cut against the flat out feel many drivers want from Formula 1.
Pressure is building across the paddock
According to Formula 1’s report on Stefano Domenicali’s latest comments, the areas being looked at before Miami are clear: qualifying, where the series wants drivers closer to full power running, and safety, where several concerns have already been raised. The FIA has also said in its statement on the February amendments to the 2026 regulations that feedback from drivers and teams already shaped earlier changes, and that further technical checks on energy management are still ongoing.
The same concern is coming from more than one side of the grid. According to Nicole Mulder’s GPblog feature on George Russell’s remarks, Russell said drivers, the FIA and Formula 1 had been in intensive contact and were largely aligned on what needs to improve, especially around qualifying and closing speed differences. That makes Verstappen’s criticism harder to dismiss as personal frustration. It now looks more like a shared reading of what the first three rounds have exposed.
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Miami could show how serious F1 is about change
According to GPblog’s report on the FIA discussions with drivers, a key meeting involving the FIA, Formula One Management and team principals was expected to shape which adjustments would be made, with no major rewrite anticipated. That fits the line coming from Nikolas Tombazis, who said in Tobia Elia’s GPblog report that the rules do not need to be torn up completely, but do need targeted work on drivability and safety.
That leaves Formula 1 in a narrow space. It does not want to admit the new formula needs a reset after only a handful of races, but it also cannot ignore a growing body of criticism from top drivers and senior officials. Verstappen’s position is blunt, but it is not isolated. Miami now matters because it could show whether the sport is willing to make meaningful fixes, or whether it still believes the current rules only need a light touch.
Sources: GPblog, Formula1.com, FIA
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