New power unit regulations mean energy from the internal combustion engine and electric motors is a 50-50 split, with battery power up from 130kW to 350kW.
Early indications are that power management will, in some cases, require drivers to lift and coast during qualifying.
Verstappen tempered his tirade with praise for the Red Bull Powertrains team behind the new Ford-branded power unit.
“To drive, it is not a lot of fun, and to be honest, I would say the right word is management,” Verstappen explained.
“But on the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background from the engine side, so it is not the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic, as for a driver, the feeling is not very Formula 1-like.
“It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids, but the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. That’s not my problem because I’m all for that and equal chances, but as a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out, and at the moment, you cannot drive like that.”
The comments come on Day 2 of pre-season testing at Bahrain. The Red Bull driver was second-fastest on the Day 1, trailing McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The claims of lifting and coasting are not new, but Verstappen’s comments are the harshest to date.
“There is a lot going on, a lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, which have a massive effect on the energy, and for me, that’s just not Formula 1,” said Verstappen, who completed 136 laps on Day 1 at Bahrain.
“And maybe it would be better to drive in Formula E, right, because that’s all about energy efficiency and management and that’s what they stand for.
“So driving-wise, it is not so fun, but at the same time, I also know what is at stake with the team, with our own engine, and seeing the excitement of people, of course, when I sit in the car, I will always give it my best. They know that, but the excitement levels are not so high.
“The livery looks great, the car looks great, the proportion of the car looks good, that is not the problem. It is just that everything else for me is a bit anti-racing.
“And probably, people will not be happy with me saying this right now, but I am outspoken, and why am I not allowed to say what I think of my race car? I can’t help that, I didn’t write the regulations.
“If it was up to non-political aspects of making regulations, the car would have looked very different, but that is how it is.”
Verstappen’s future in F1 remains unclear. Although he is contracted to Red Bull long-term, there is an air of expectation that his satisfaction may determine his decision.
The Dutchman has interests outside of F1, particularly in GT3 racing, and when asked whether he would take part in the Nurburgring 24, he joked: “I mean, looking at it now, at least you can drive flat out there without looking after my battery.”
Verstappen’s comments were put to 2025 champion Lando Norris, who offered a positive assessment of the new regulations.
“A lot of fun, I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“So yeah, if he wants to retire, he can retire. Formula 1 changes all the time; sometimes it is a bit better to drive, and sometimes it is not as good to drive, but we get paid a stupid amount of money to drive, so you can’t really complain.
“I mean, any driver can go and find something else to do. It’s not like he or any driver has to be here, but it is a challenge, a good, fun challenge for the engineers and drivers; it is different.
“You have to drive in a different way and understand things differently and manage things differently, but I still get to drive cars and travel the world and have a lot of fun, so there is nothing to complain about.
“I don’t expect Max isn’t going to go out and not give a shit, like he is still going to try and win, and Max is never going to not try. You’re just not going to smile as much.
“It certainly doesn’t feel as quick as the last few years, and certainly doesn’t handle as perfectly, but I am sure that if he came in and this was the first F1 car he started driving, then he would probably say it is amazing compared to the older cars.
“It doesn’t feel as pretty and as beautiful to drive, but it is still pretty good. It is still early days of a regulation [set] which is meant to be a good amount slower.
“But if you fast forward to the end of the year and look at next year, we’re going to be a lot quicker by then, so anyone can make their own opinions and have their own opinions and say and decide what they want to do.
“No one should complain about that. Every driver has their own opinions, and he didn’t like it, and I like it.””
Formula 1 testing is set to continue at Bahrain on Friday.
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