‘The formula is just not correct’ - Verstappen maintains stance on new F1 cars following qualifying crash

Max Verstappen voiced his displeasure at the new era of Formula 1 car after qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, saying the sport needs to change the formula.

The new power unit regulations place a heavy emphasis on energy management, with drivers needing to replenish a battery that can deliver nearly 50% of the total power output. Albert Park is deemed to be a particularly challenging circuit from a power unit perspective, and Verstappen says he voiced his opinion to the FIA during the drivers’ briefing in Melbourne.

"There are so many things that we need to look at, I think, in general as a sport,” Verstappen said. “I said how I thought about it [in the briefing].

“I'm definitely not having fun at all with these cars. I don't know… You can make up your mind, but I think if you look at the onboard, you see enough, right?

“There's nothing that you can do [to make changes to the energy management]. You can only make it slower, and then, of course, you get a bit more of a normal speed trace, but it's a slower speed trace. The formula is just not correct, and that is something that is a bit harder to change, but I think we need to.

“It's going to be a long season, that's what I'm telling you,” he later added.

While the drivers’ briefing was held on Friday night, Verstappen’s comments came after he crashed braking for the first corner of his first lap of Q1 and will start 20th. The Dutchman required x-rays on his hand after it struck the side of his cockpit, but was cleared of any breaks after the incident.

“I just hit the pedal and the whole rear axle just completely locked, which is, especially with these Formula 1 cars, very weird. I've never experienced that in my whole life … I have no idea where it comes from,” he said.

Teammate Isack Hadjar secured third place on the grid but was 0.785s behind polesitter George Russell, a deficit that Verstappen believes will require updates from both an aerodynamic and power unit perspective to close.

“The gap is eight tenths to P1, so that's still a very big gap,” Verstappen said. “And we know that we have to improve the car and engine to fight Mercedes, because at the end of the day, we're not here to be P3, 4, 5, 6, whatever, we're here to win. So, step by step, hopefully, we can get closer.”