Little fun
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was very direct and critical regarding the technical characteristics of current Formula 1 cars, calling them “Formula E on steroids” and “not fun to drive”. Statements that immediately sparked reactions from other drivers like George Russell and especially from the reigning world champion Lando Norris, who ‘invited’ his rival to retire from the Circus if he did not feel satisfied.
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Stop the chatter in Australia
Back-and-forth, but above all negative comments from Verstappen, which will completely vanish on the occasion of the Australian Grand Prix, the first of the 2026 season. An ex-driver like David Coulthard is particularly convinced of this, who in an interview with talkSPORT reiterated how the need to focus on victory will totally overshadow the criticisms of recent days: “In the end, when it comes to racing and the lights go out, you just want to be fast and finish first – explained the former McLaren driver – so, testing aside, Max is now in his twelfth season in Formula 1. He has been on track for a few years, has earned the respect of his opponents and has every right to have an opinion on the driving experience, but this will not be in his thoughts when he arrives in Melbourne. He will simply think: how can I exploit this potential to the best of my ability? In the end there will be a winner: this is the wonderful thing about racing. Once all the chatter stops, it’s just about the stopwatch and the checkered flag.”
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Coulthard himself, in addition to indicating his favorite for winning the world title, also had the opportunity to speak with Verstappen himself, who indicated who his main rivals for the championship will be: “He said anyone with a Mercedes engine – the Scotsman revealed – but Williams seems a bit in difficulty. In this moment, if I had to bet, George Russell for the world champion title would probably not be a bad idea, but never count Max out.”
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