The 2026 Formula 1 regulations were supposed to usher in a new era of sustainable, hyper-efficient racing, but if you ask the grid's most ruthless competitor, the championship is heading in the exact wrong direction.
During an appearance on the P1 with Matt & Tommy podcast, Max Verstappen was asked a simple question: if he could change one rule in Formula 1, what would it be? Without skipping a beat, the four-time World Champion delivered an answer that will have motorsport purists cheering: ditch the heavy, complicated V6 turbo hybrids and bring back naturally aspirated V8s.
Max Verstappen emphasized that returning to V8s isn't just about nostalgia; it is a fundamental fix for the current generation's weight and drivability issues. A proper V8 is much better in every scenario, being lighter and much more fun to race with.
Perhaps the most sensational part of his proposal is a solution for modern overtaking. Since 2011, Formula 1 has relied on the Drag Reduction System to manufacture passes, but Max Verstappen believes a lighter V8 car paired with an IndyCar-style electrical boost could finally kill DRS forever.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
He explained that a manual push-to-pass system gives drivers control to make brave moves under braking, rather than effortlessly cruising past a rival on a straight because a flap opened. Sometimes DRS is simply way too powerful in certain places on the track.
In his ideal world, a V8 or V10 engine paired with a small battery for a power boost would create the ultimate racing machine that is much more fun to drive.
Currently, Max Verstappen sits in 6th place of the drivers' standings with 188 points for Red Bull Racing.
Source: Motorsport
