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Max Verstappen Calls New F1 Cars 'No Fun' as Leclerc Leads Day 2 of Bahrain Test

On Thursday at Bahrain testing, Max Verstappen, four-time champion, said `It's actually no fun at all to drive` and `it isn't the original Formula 1 feeling any more`, while Charles Leclerc went fastest by half a second from Lando Norris.
Regulation changes for 2026 made cars smaller and lighter and introduced an on-board battery charging strategy, with Verstappen calling it `a bit like Formula E on steroids` in a Sky Sport German-language interview.
McLaren's Lando Norris logged nearly 149 laps on Thursday, while Mercedes faced issues with Kimi Antonelli completing just three laps and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar waited for a fix, and Oliver Bearman was third for Haas.
Verstappen warned energy management will be difficult at Melbourne, and several top drivers including Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton sat out Thursday, altering teams' running plans.
With three days of testing this week and three next week, the testing schedule limits how teams evaluate changes while on-board battery strategy shapes teams' race strategy and driver experience.

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19 Articles

'Just not Formula 1': Verstappen says new cars aren't fun to drive

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen says the 2026 cars are "not so fun", claiming the increasing energy management demands on drivers are "just not Formula 1".

1 hour ago·Australia

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The Washington Post

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Max Verstappen calls new F1 cars 'no fun' as Leclerc leads day 2 of ...

4 hours ago

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The Hindu

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Max Verstappen calls new F1 cars ’no fun’ as Leclerc leads day 2 of Bahrain test

Regulation changes for 2026 have made cars smaller and lighter, with a key role for the strategy of charging an on-board battery and using electrical energy to boost speed.

4 hours ago·India

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Associated Press News

+9 Reposted by 9 other sources

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Max Verstappen calls new F1 cars 'no fun' as Leclerc leads day 2 of Bahrain test

Max Verstappen says it is “no fun” to drive Formula 1’s new cars and sweeping changes for 2026 mean it no longer feels like F1.

5 hours ago·United States

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Bild

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Formula 1: Max Verstappen Destroys the New Formula 1! "It's No Fun"

Max Verstappen (28) is back to full speed. Since Wednesday at the official test drives in Bahrain – and especially today at the microphone.

5 hours ago·Berlin, Germany

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pitdebrief.com

Verstappen extremely unimpressed by 2026 F1 cars at Bahrain Testing

The second day of F1’s 2026 Bahrain pre-season testing has revealed a season defined by battery management, and Max Verstappen is far from impressed. While the timing screens show the first laps of the new era, the paddock is focused on a blistering verdict. Max Verstappen of Red Bull delivered a methodical assessment of the... The post Verstappen extremely unimpressed by 2026 F1 cars at Bahrain Testing appeared first on Motorsport

2 hours ago

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