The 2026 World Cup starts in Australia, Verstappen warns about the new Formula 1

Formula 1 officially started the engines for the 2026 World Championship yesterday, as two free practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix were held in the early hours of the morning. A season that comes with a revolution in the regulations, while immediately attracting the attention of Max Verstappen, an outspoken critic of the changes in F1.

The sight of the Dutchman losing control and scattering parts of his car as he skidded across the gravel of a corner has not been uncommon since his early years at Red Bull Racing. In recent years, such mistakes could be counted on the fingers of one hand, but in free practice in Australia he ended the session prematurely after losing control of his car.

Max has already expressed his dissatisfaction with these cars and the new driving style, which requires economy in areas that make the difference between drivers, such as taking his foot off the gas before a fast corner. He has also made it clear that he will not continue in Formula 1 for many years, because he has other projects in mind and wants to enjoy more time with his family. In the first free practice session in Australia, he fought for the best time with the Ferrari duo, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

But in the second session of the day, he initially encountered a reliability problem and then suffered an accident. Meanwhile, the appearance of the more powerful Mercedes cars, with Oscar Piastre and McLaren in first place and Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell behind him, left the Red Bull driver in sixth place, a position he does not like at all. Verstappen is not one of those drivers who is in Formula 1 just to fight for podiums.

The weekend in Melbourne sees drivers in the early hours of Saturday morning (02:30) for the third free practice session, with qualifying starting at 06:00. The Australian Grand Prix will start on Sunday at 05:00.

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