Verstappen says last-minute F1 rule tweak will help only 'a tiny bit' / Photo: © AFP
Verstappen says last-minute F1 rule tweak will help only 'a tiny bit'
A despondent Max Verstappen said Thursday that a last-minute tweak to energy-saving rules at this week's Japanese Grand Prix qualifying would help "a tiny bit, but the basics are the same".
Formula One's governing body the FIA said that drivers must save less energy in qualifying, allowing them to push harder over the entire lap.
The minor change comes after criticism of sweeping new regulations this season which require battery management and energy harvesting with a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.
Verstappen is no fan of the new rules and has struggled so far this season, failing to finish the Chinese Grand Prix.
Red Bull's four-time world champion, who is chasing his fifth straight victory at Suzuka, said F1 in 2026 "feels very different to last year".
"This is the reality that we're in now and you just have to accept that at the moment," said Verstappen.
"There's not much that you can do anyway for this year. I hope that bigger changes will be there for next year."
The rule tweak means drivers will only be allowed to harvest eight megajoules in a qualifying lap instead of the previous nine.
The rule does not apply to Sunday's race.
"Going to eight megajoules probably helps a tiny bit but the basics are the same, so you still need to be careful also with your throttle inputs," said Verstappen.
"That is of course very different to the past."
Verstappen is eighth in the championship standings after two races of the season, 43 points behind the leader, George Russell of Mercedes.
Verstappen took a break from F1 by competing at a four-hour race in Germany last weekend, but even that did not lift his gloom as he was disqualified after winning.
O.L.Jiminez--ESF
